


The Red Thread of Destiny: What the Heart Sees

by Rochelle_Templer



Category: City Hunter (Manga)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship, brief references to violence and peril, references to the anime, some mild innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-02 06:18:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11503497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rochelle_Templer/pseuds/Rochelle_Templer
Summary: Valentine's Day is drawing near and City Hunter is hired to protect a professional matchmaker. However, things soon get complicated when feelings are revealed and danger hits close to home.





	1. Chapter 1

Yumiko Takeuchi leaned back in her office chair with a contented sigh. It hadn’t been easy, but she was convinced that she had finally found the perfect match for her latest client: a career woman who had recently expressed an interest in finding a husband.  Yumiko had little doubt that the man she had chosen would eventually end up walking down the marriage aisle with her client and the thought of that made her happy.

She began to gather up her papers while switching off her computer. The day had been a long, but satisfying one, and Yumiko was ready to pick up something to eat and relax at home. She contemplated what take-out place to visit while she straightened up her office and continued to think about it after turning out the lights in her office and walking out into the crisp night air.

Suddenly, a flash of light at the corner of her eye caught her attention. She whirled around to see a car speeding toward her, a vague shape behind the wheel. Yumiko gasped and jumped to the side in the hope of dodging it. She landed hard, scraping her leg, but managed to escape otherwise unscathed. She watched as the car continued to speed away while other pedestrians gaped at the sight.

‘ _It’s them…it’s them again. I know it,’_ Yumiko told herself as she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the sidewalk.

_‘I have to do something….but what?’_

* * *

 

The next morning, Kaori Makimura took her daily stroll to the blackboard at Shinjuku station to check for potential jobs. Recently, she and Ryo had managed to help a couple of well-paying clients and while they were not exactly flush with money, they were not in debt either. As a result, Kaori had initially planned to turn down any offers from female clients for a while.

As she walked by, she happened to notice an ornate display of color in a store window. She stopped to look at the hues of pink, white and red that framed various displays of heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolates. Valentine’s Day was coming soon, and many shops were increasing their advertisements for it.

Kaori’s eyes lit up as she admired the intricate confections displayed and imagined that they all probably tasted as good as they looked.

‘ _So pretty,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _I wish I could get some for myself.’_

Kaori stared for a moment and sighed silently. The status of the bank account made it impossible to spend too much on things like chocolates for Valentine’s Day, unless she wanted to have to worry about things like the food budget or Ryo’s monthly allowance. She took one last longing look before walking away.

Still, the sight of those chocolates did not leave her mind. She had already planned on giving some of her friends like Miki and Umibozu, and Saeko and Reika some small gifts of chocolates as a way to express her appreciation for their friendships. But Ryo required a different approach.

Kaori entered the subway and weaved through the crowds of people there. Despite the frustrations that Ryo often brought to her life, Kaori could not deny the feelings she had for him in her heart. For the past couple of years that she had worked with him, she had been too shy to do anything more on Valentine’s Day than attempt to make him a lavish meal before he decided to go out for an evening of drinking and dancing at the local bars and clubs. This year, however, would be different.

One of their clients had expressed a desire to grant an extra favor to Kaori along with the fee that was paid to show their gratitude for the job she and Ryo had done. It had taken a while, but eventually she was able to come up with a request: to receive some lessons in working with chocolate from a confectioner skilled in that area. The client had found it to be an odd request, but had managed to connect Kaori with a young woman who was a rising star in the Tokyo confectionary community.

Kaori let out a rueful smile as she walked. The lessons had not been easy. The confectioner was a patient, kind-hearted woman, but Kaori struggled to perfect the techniques she was taught and had despaired at how tasteless and misshapen all of her chocolates would turn out. Then one day, the confectioner gave Kaori a piece of advice.

“ _Kaori-san, when working with this chocolate, try to think beyond the measurements, the ingredients and the methods. Let your hands be guided by love: love for your family, love for your friends, love for the one closest to your heart. When your actions are fueled by love, it will show in the results. No matter how clumsy you might think your technique is, the love will be seen and tasted in the chocolates.”_

From that point on, Kaori approached her lessons with increased fervor. There were plenty more failures along the way, but soon, she noticed that even her simple chocolates had an elegance about them that was not there before. Kaori focused on not only the love she had for those in her life, but on the romantic dreams and hopes that she had carried with her for years. Each piece came to represent an errant wish that she held in her heart, each attempt became a chance to reflect on those wishes and dreams.

By this point, she was now confident that she could finally complete the project she had had in mind when she started these lessons: to make a gift of homemade chocolates to give to Ryo on Valentine’s Day. She had begun to make each piece earlier this week, but the process was painstakingly slow due to her desire to make sure that every chocolate not only tasted good, but looked nice as well. She would be done in a couple of days, and Kaori was giddy at the prospect of surprising Ryo with a gift like this.

_‘Maybe he’ll stay home and we could have dinner that night,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _After all, there is no way that he could not be impressed with my chocolate making technique.’_

Kaori scanned the blackboard and her eyes immediately darted toward the ‘XYZ’ scrawled toward the center. She then wrote down the brief note that accompanied it.

‘ _Urgently need your assistance. I will meet you Fruit Parlor Café at 3:00 pm tomorrow. Yumiko Takeuchi.’_

_A woman. No doubt about it,’_ Kaori told herself. ‘ _That name does sound vaguely familiar…Where have I heard it?...Still, we’re definitely passing on this one.’_

Kaori started to walk away, but then stopped in mid-stride. All of her musings on the chocolates she was making had reminded her that she had realized last night that she actually needed a few more supplies in order to finish her project. These supplies were not as expensive as these deluxe pre-packaged chocolates were, but they still would not be cheap, and she worried that acquiring them could damage her careful budget.

‘ _But…I wouldn’t have to worry about that at all if we had a job right now,’_ Kaori reminded herself. ‘ _Even if it’s a modest paying job, I could get what I needed and we would have some extra money to put aside…I might even be able to afford to make an even more elaborate meal on Valentine’s Day.’_

Kaori’s shoulders slumped and she trudged out of the subway. Handling Ryo when their client was female was a job in and of itself, but Kaori remained resolute in her decision. She would endure her partner’s antics and make sure that things ran as smoothly as possible.

Even if that involved numerous applications of her one hundred ton hammers.

* * *

 

The next day, Kaori and Ryo Saeba were walking over toward the Fruit Parlor Café….or more accurately; Kaori was walking while Ryo was practically skipping along.

“It’s almost Valentine’s Day,” Ryo grinned. “And what better way to celebrate than by getting some mokkori service from a beautiful woman.”

“Ryo, that’s not what we are being hired for,” Kaori said through gritted teeth. “She probably needs protection for some criminal or help in finding someone.”

“Oh, of course, of course,” Ryo nodded. “But after all of that is done….”

Ryo’s voice trailed off and he began to laugh to himself. Kaori shook her head. She knew that there was no way to dissuade him from fantasizing about possible attempts at lechery, but she hoped that she would be able to keep him in check for the most part this time.

They soon arrived at their destination and went inside to sit at one of the tables. The two of them ordered sodas and sipped at them while they waited.

A few minutes later, a beautiful, petite woman with sparkling eyes and long hair made her way to the table. The woman blushed a little as she approached.

“Excuse me,” she said quietly. “I…I left a message: XYZ.” Kaori barely had a chance to open her mouth before Ryo was on his feet, pulling Yumiko close to him.

“Say no more,” Ryo intoned in a serious voice. “My name is Ryo Saeba, and I promise to protect you.” Yumiko’s blush deepened.

“Um…Saeba-san….” she began.

“But first we need to discuss compensation,” Ryo added.

“Compensation?” Yumiko replied. “Oh…oh of course. I am sure that I can pay you a generous….”

“What I want goes beyond mere money,” Ryo interrupted.

“Beyond money?” Yumiko repeated. “I don’t understand.” Ryo began to laugh, his features twisting into a wide grin.

“I need you to pay me with the currency that only exists between a man and a woman,” he said, his voice losing its seriousness and becoming higher pitched in tone. Yumiko pulled herself away from him and took a step back.

“Saeba-san,” she gasped. Ryo leapt up into the air with the intent of pouncing on her.

“Yumiko-chan!” he called out as he floated closer to her.

Kaori immediately stood up from her chair. There was a flash of light in her hands and suddenly an enormous hammer appeared in her grasp. She brought it down as hard as she could onto Ryo, firmly planting him into the floor.

“This is why I have to pass on female clients!” Kaori bellowed at him. “Idiot!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Ryo groaned as he struggled to crawl out from under the giant mallet that had pinned him. He slowly made his way to his feet and slinked back down onto his chair. Kaori then put on her best smile and turned to face Yumiko.

“Sorry about that,” Kaori said. “Let’s have a drink and you can tell us about the job.”

* * *

 

Several minutes later, the three of them sat at the table and finished their drinks before Yumiko spoke again.

“About three weeks ago, I started getting these phone calls,” she said. “They would threaten me in awful ways and then hang up. I thought it was just a prank, but the calls kept coming and then they became more frequent. Then I felt like I was being followed. But…I never saw anyone, so I thought at first that I was just jumpy because of all the phone calls.”

“But something else happened, didn’t it?” Ryo asked.

“Yes.” Yumiko said, bowing her head. “I forgot some papers at my office one evening, so I went back to get them. When I got there, I found out that my office had been torn apart: papers scattered everywhere, some of my furniture ruined. I thought it was a robbery, but then….”

Yumiko took a deep breath and then looked back up at Ryo and Kaori.

“Two days ago, I was walking home and someone tried to run me down in their car,” she said. “I know that it has to be the same people….the same people who have been calling me, following me and who trashed my office. I…I don’t know what they want or what to do.”

“You could try the police,” Kaori offered.

“No,” Yumiko said, shaking her head. “I told the police about all this when my office was vandalized, but they insisted that it was just a simple burglary. I even told them about the car and they still think it’s just a coincidence. No…no the police can’t help me.” Yumiko leaned toward them.

“Please,” she said. “Please help me. I will pay you anything you want.” Ryo reached over to take one of her hands into his.

“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice calm. “We’ll take care of this.” Kaori blinked at his tone before smiling again.

“That’s right,” she chimed in. “We are experts at this sort of thing. You can count on us.”

“Thank you,” Yumiko smiled. The three of them stood up and walked out of the café.

“First things first,” Ryo said. “We need to stop by your office and see if we can discover what exactly these men might have been looking for.”

“That makes sense, although I am not sure if you will find anything,” Yumiko nodded. “It’s not like there is anything of value at my office.”

“Still, there may be something there that you might have missed,” Ryo insisted. “Something that only a professional could spot.”

“I understand,” Yumiko said. “Then what should we do? Go to the police again? Or track down some clues?”

“Then you’ll be staying at my place,” Ryo grinned. Both Kaori and Yumiko stopped and stared at him with open-mouthed shock.

“What?!” Kaori said.

“Your place?!” Yumiko said.

“Of course,” Ryo said, his smile growing. “It’s the safest place in town for you to go while we figure this out.”

_‘It may be safe from robbers and killers, but it’s hardly safe for her as a woman,’_ Kaori fumed silently.

“So, shall we go?” Ryo said, gesturing toward his car. “Tell us where your office is.”

As the three of them piled into the car, Yumiko gave an address and some directions to get there. Soon Ryo began to drive with Yumiko in the passenger seat and Kaori frowning in the back.

Kaori knew that there was no way she could turn down the job at this point, but her intuition was  already telling her that this case was probably going to get even more complicated from this moment on.


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes later, they arrived at a modest sized building with a large sign hanging over the front door. They then got out of the car and studied the place.

“Takeuchi’s Love Match,” Kaori read from the sign in front of them. Her eyes widened. “Wait…are you _that_ Takeuchi? The famous matchmaker?”

“Yes,” Yumiko said, nodding and blushing again.

“Matchmaker?” Ryo said, tilting his head.

“I saw a report about her on TV,” Kaori said. “They said that her agency has a perfect record when it comes to matching couples.”

“Oh, you mean setting up children from rich families?” Ryo said. “How old fashioned.”

“It’s not that kind of matchmaking agency,” Yumiko insisted. “I don’t just throw people together for the convenience of their families. Matchmaking like that is the old way of doing things. What I offer is the chance for people to find true love with the people who are the most compatible with them.”

“It’s true,” Kaori nodded. “They interviewed couples who had gotten engaged or married as a result of Yumiko-san’s matchmaking. They all seemed so happy.”

“And that’s how it should be,” Yumiko added. “Dating and relationships should be about finding happiness and about finding completion with another. Love should be about two becoming one. And I have made it my life’s work to help others find that happiness.”

‘ _Wow, she is so serious,’_ Kaori thought to herself. ‘ _She cares so much about her work. It must be nice to feel so passionate about this sort of thing and to have so much belief in love.’_

Kaori suddenly felt a dull ache in her heart, but chose to ignore it

“Beautiful,” Ryo said. Both Kaori and Yumiko looked over at him.

“Saeba-san?” Yumiko said, her expression puzzled. Ryo walked over to her and took her hand into his.

“Seeing the look in your eyes and hearing your words, I now know that you are a woman who understands love,” he said. “And that you realize how important it is.” A smile began to form on Yumiko’s lips.

“Saeba-san,” she said. “I….” Suddenly Ryo’s grip on her hand became tighter, and began to pull her toward him.

“Let me be the one who helps you enjoy one of love’s greatest pleasures,” Ryo continued. “There are some great hotels in the area where we can….”

Ryo quickly halted his train of thought at the sight of his partner wielding another giant mallet in her hands.

“I thought we were supposed to be trying to find clues in Yumiko-san’s office,” Kaori said, her eyes narrowing as she started to raise the hammer over her head. “Or have you forgotten already?”

“Right, right,” Ryo said, a large bead of sweat falling off his brow. “Looking for clues…that’s what we should be doing.”

Yumiko sighed and shook her head. She then got some keys out of her purse and unlocked the door. She put her hand on the doorknob and was about to turn it when Ryo suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Wait a minute,” he said, his voice low and serious. He pushed his way in front of her and carefully opened the door while reaching for his gun. Ryo looked around the office while Kaori and Yumiko looked over his shoulder, gasping at what they saw.

Papers were scattered all over the carpet and furniture was knocked over. Some of the cushions in the chairs and couches had been torn open and shards of glass littered the floor.

“No…not again,” Yumiko whispered. “They’ve been here.”

Ryo stepped inside the office and moved slowly about, his eyes darting everywhere around the room. After almost a minute of silent observation, he turned back toward them.

“It’s all right,” he said. “Whoever it was is gone now.” Both Yumiko and Kaori breathed sighs of relief and followed him inside.

“I don’t understand,” Yumiko said as she knelt down to scoop up some papers. “Why is someone doing this?”

“Perhaps there is someone who wants revenge on you,” Ryo said. “An unhappy client, perhaps?”

“I can’t think of anyone like that,” Yumiko replied. “I’ve never had any problems with my clients either in the past or currently.”

“I suppose it’s possible that when you deal with so many people, someone eventually comes along who is not so nice,” Kaori said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Maybe,” Yumiko said. “But I don’t really have that many clients, so I usually get to know them all pretty well. None of them have struck me as being that way.”

“Really?” Kaori said. “I would have thought that you’d have tons of clients, since so many people know that you have such a great record.” Yumiko smiled and stood back up gathering the papers in her hands into a stack.

“Well I don’t take on every client who comes to my office,” she said. “Only those who I think are serious about finding the love of their life. My standard fees are one of the ways that I screen potential clients.”

“Your fees?” Kaori said.

“Yes,” Yumiko said. “The standard fee is around five million yen. Plus, there is often an additional fee once a match has been found.”

“Five…five _million_ yen?!” Kaori gulped.

“The fee is negotiable, of course,” Yumiko continued. “I will often work with a client if need be as far as financing goes. But I have found that this is an effective way to sort out people who are simply looking for a good time from people who truly need my services.” Kaori swallowed hard again.

‘ _Five million yen,’_ she thought. ‘ _Well…I guess that makes sense when you ask for someone who has a perfect record in finding a love match.’_

Yumiko noticed Kaori’s downcast face and was about to ask her about it when she noticed Ryo staring at something on the ground.

“Saeba-san,” Yumiko said. “Did you find something?” Ryo crouched down and scooped something into his hands.

“Yes,” he replied. He then turned toward her with a pair of panties in his hands, his eyes lit up with excitement.

“The person who ransacked your office was clearly not a pervert because he left these behind,” Ryo said as he struggled to hold back his glee. He started to put them in his pocket when Kaori nailed him with another hammer.

“There is, however, a pervert here now,” Kaori said, glaring at him. “Why are you putting her panties into your pocket?’

“I thought that, you know, for safekeeping, in case the perpetrator comes back here.”Ryo replied weakly as wobbled back onto his feet. Kaori snatched the underwear out of his hands and handed them to Yumiko.

“We’ve already established that we are not dealing with a pervert…at least, not as far as the perpetrator goes,” Kaori said. “So stop trying to excuse your hobbies.”

“Ok, ok, you’re right,” Ryo laughed as he held up his hands. “How about we help Yumiko-chan clean up her office while we look for evidence?”

* * *

 

It took a couple of hours, but eventually the three of them managed to clear away the mess and put everything back into order. Kaori went into a side room to make some coffee for everyone while Ryo sat across from Yumiko, who was behind her desk sorting through some files.

“Tell me more about your business,” Ryo said. “Are a lot of your clients wealthy or influential people?”

“Many are, I suppose,” Yumiko answered. “After all, with the fees I usually charge, you would need to be financially secure in order to hire me. But, not all of my clients are especially well off and I do not always accept a client just because they can afford to pay me.”

“I don’t mean to pry into any of your business related secrets,” Ryo said. “But how does your service work? Do you simply ask your clients a standard array of questions about themselves or do you use methods like astrology or blood-type matching?”

“It’s all right,” Yumiko said. “I can answer your questions. I do use all of those techniques you mentioned, but there are also many more that I employ.” She leaned toward Ryo, placing her elbows onto her desk and resting her head in her hands.

“Things like interviews and studies of astrological signs and blood types are just the beginning of what I do,” she said. “There are things like personality compatibility, assessments of my clients’ values, goals and things like that. Also, there are many other forms of divination to help guide me through my process of sorting out the information that I get from each client. Taking on the job of finding a match for someone else is a massive undertaking for me since it is something that I never take lightly. This is why I get to know my clients so well: because I build a complete and comprehensive portrait of who they are and who the best person for them would be.”

“I see,” Ryo smiled at her. “It’s not something just anyone could do, is it? You rely on all of that, but you also rely on a special sort of intuition as well.” Yumiko looked shocked, but swiftly regained her composure.

“It looks like you are more observant than you let on, Saeba-san,” she said. “You are right, of course. While I do rely on a lot of information gathering and divination, I also follow my instincts. I don’t know how or exactly when I acquired this ability, but ever since I was a teenager, I have always been able to sense the red thread of destiny.”

“The red thread?” Ryo said, his eyes quizzical.

“The red thread that ties two lovers together,” Yumiko said. “Everyone who is capable of love has a red thread tying their pinky finger to the pinky finger of the one they are meant to be with. It’s something that is always there, even though it can usually only been seen with the eyes of the heart. When I have the chance get to know someone, it’s as if I can sense the red thread on their finger and can follow the path that it takes which lead me to the person who is connected at the other end.” Yumiko then reached over and placed her hand over one of Ryo’s.

“I know that we have not known each other very long, and I am surprised at it myself” she said. “But I can already sense the thread on your finger, Saeba-san. Would you like to know where it leads?” Ryo’s thoughtful expression twisted into a leer, and he leaned toward her.

“I already know where it leads,” he replied.  “It leads to every beautiful woman on the planet. It is what guides me to mokkori.” Yumiko pulled her hand away and put it over her face.

‘ _Sheesh, he has a one-track mind,’_ she thought. ‘ _I can’t believe that there is any woman out there who could possibly deserve to be tied to him. Is is…is it possible that my instincts are wrong this time? Could it be that what I sense is not the red thread after all?’_

“So Yumiko-chan, how about we go back to my place and after dinner and a shower we can find our own destined mokkori?” he continued. “In fact, we might even find it during dinner or during a shower….” Yumiko’s face turned red as she frowned.

‘ _This guy is such a pervert…but…but I know that I am not wrong. I know that he has the red thread on his finger, so there must be a woman out there who is destined to be with him.’_

As Ryo babbled on, Yumiko felt the fire of determination stir within her.

‘ _This is just a test is all: a test of belief in myself and a test of my talents. It will probably be my biggest challenge ever, but I know now that I must find the one he is meant to be with. If I can’t surmount this, then I’ll never be able to become a true master of my craft.’_

“Saeba-san,” she interrupted. “How would you like to make a wager with me?”

“Huh? A wager?” Ryo responded.

“Yes,” Yumiko said with a smile. “My skills versus your mokkori. I told you that I can sense the red thread on your finger and as a result, I can find a woman who would be compatible with you and that includes women who would be ideal for a date. So this is what I propose: I will arrange for you the perfect date for Valentine’s Day. In return you will have to stop trying to get me into bed.”

“Valentine’s Day is not very far away,” Ryo grinned slyly at her. “What are you offering me if you fail?” Yumiko’s cheeks burned as they turned red, but she maintained her serious demeanor.

“If I fail…then I will be your date for Valentine’s Day,” she said. “For dinner or…or anything else.” Ryo leapt to his feet and raised his arms over his head, pumping his fists.

“I accept!” he exclaimed. “A mokkori date for Valentine’s Day. Nothing else could be better.”

Ryo continued to bounce about joyfully while Yumiko let out an exasperated laugh.  

‘ _Maybe I am being too impulsive,’_ she mused. ‘ _What if I end up losing this bet? Then I will have to…No, I will not lose. Just you wait and see Saeba-san, I will find the perfect woman for you. You can count on it.’_

“What’s going on?”

Both Ryo and Yumiko looked over to see Kaori walking into the room with a pair of coffee mugs in her hands. Ryo immediately stopped hopping around while Yumiko sat upright in her chair.

“Nothing, nothing at all Kaori-chan,” Ryo assured her. “I was just finding out more about kind of work that she does, right Yumiko-chan?”

“Yes, right,” Yumiko laughed nervously. “Saeba-san was asking me some questions about how I run my business.”

“And I found out some very important information,” Ryo nodded sagely.

“Really?” Kaori replied.

“You did?” Yumiko asked, surprised.  “But how? When did you…?”  Ryo smiled and turned his gaze toward the door.

“Well I think we are done here,” he said. “Let’s head back to my place. I’m hungry, and Yumiko-chan could probably stand to eat something as well. Unfortunately, we will all have to endure Kaori’s cooking, but I suppose there is no avoiding it.”

Ryo finished his coffee in one gulp and had managed to sit his mug down before being hit by a chair that had been flung by Kaori.

“If my cooking is so disgusting, why don’t you try doing it instead?” she bellowed at him.

“Hey, that’s your job,” Ryo protested as he dodged another chair that had been thrown at him. “Why don’t you try learning how to cook?”

As the two of them continued to argue, Yumiko’s shoulders slumped.

‘ _Finding a match for him really is going to be my biggest challenge. I better spend more time than usual praying for guidance or I might end up losing this bet after all.’_

 


	3. Chapter 3

The three of them dropped by Yumiko’s apartment so that she could pack a suitcase before heading back to the building where Ryo and Kaori lived.

“Impressive,” Yumiko said as she got out of the car. “Do you own this entire building, Saeba-san?”

“I do,” Ryo nodded. “Just like you, my services are not cheap. Plus, I’ve always been able to find ways to get what I need.”

Yumiko nodded while she and Ryo walked toward the door. Kaori followed them at a distance.

‘ _What does he mean by that?’_ Kaori wondered to herself as they stepped inside. ‘ _Does he have some hidden finances that he isn’t telling me about? And for that matter…just how was he able to get this entire building for himself?’_

Kaori felt a brief surge of frustration but then let it out with a sigh. She had known for a while now that there was a lot that Ryo didn’t tell her, and that most of the time, it was useless to try to get any secrets out of him. Sometimes, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling bitter and hurt over the fact that he kept so much from her and would consider trying to find ways to force him to share more with her.  But events in the past year like Rosemary Moon, aka, Bloody Mary’s visit to Japan had forced her to realize that it was difficult  for Ryo to open up to anyone. She struggled to remain patient and let him reveal things to her in his own way and at his own pace. 

Kaori shook her head and continued to watch Ryo as he showed her inside. She knew that it wouldn’t be long before he tried to find ways to sneak in some mokkori action for himself. She pushed her worries and questions aside so that she could concentrate on the task at hand.

“…and you can rest assured, Yumiko-chan that I will be watching over you the entire time you are here,” Ryo said with a wide grin. “No matter what time of day or night, I will always be close by.”

‘ _And that’s what I am afraid of,’_ Kaori thought to herself as she scowled at him. ‘ _I better be close by at all times as well.’_

* * *

 

An hour later, the three of them were finishing up the last of their dinner. Ryo soon left the table to read a newspaper in the front room area while Kaori began to clear away the table.

“Thank you for a wonderful meal, Makimura-san,” Yumiko told her. Kaori blushed and waved her hand.

“Oh, it was nothing, really,” she said. “And you can just call me Kaori if you would like.”

“Ok,” Yumiko smiled at her. “But…is there a reason why….?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, nothing,” Kaori said with a forced laugh. “It’s just…it’s a little strange for me to be called that is all.”

“Why?” Yumiko asked. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“It is, yes…but,” Kaori said, looking down. “I just…. That’s how everyone who is a part my life now refers to my older brother. I guess when I hear it now, I always think of him and it seems strange for me to be addressed the same way. I know that doesn’t really make sense, but it’s just how I often feel.”

“Kaori-san?” Yumiko said, her voice lowering. “Your brother…is he…?” Kaori shook her head.

“My brother passed away over three years ago,” she said quietly.

“I see,” Yumiko said, her eyes sad.  “Was he your only family?”

“Yes,” Kaori nodded.  There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Kaori smiled and tried to laugh again.

“It’s ok,” she said. “I miss my brother, but I still have my friends and my work…and of course, there’s always Ryo to keep me busy.”

“I suppose so,” Yumiko chuckled. “I imagine dealing with Saeba-san doesn’t leave you with a lot of free time.”

“No it doesn’t,” Kaori laughed again. She then finished stacking the dishes and was about to take them away when Yumiko touched her arm.

“Kaori-san,” she said. “Back at my office, at one point you seemed to be troubled over something. Was there something you needed to tell me or….?”

“No, I was just thinking about the case is all,” Kaori insisted. “Well I better finish up with these dishes. Let me know if you need anything.”

Kaori carried the plates and silverware over toward the sink while Yumiko watched her silently.

‘ _Kaori-san tries to be cheerful,’_ she mused. ‘ _But still, something seemed wrong. I wonder what it is.’_

* * *

 

A short while later, Yumiko was sitting on the couch across from Ryo, scribbling some notes into a leather-bound notebook.

“How old are you?” she asked him.

“Twenty years old,” he declared proudly. Yumiko let out a sigh.

“Saeba-san,” she said. “Please take the question seriously.”

“I am taking it seriously,” Ryo insisted with a comical scowl. “And that was a serious answer. Go ahead and write down that I am twenty years old.”

“Age unknown, possibly in his early thirties,” Yumiko said as she scratched her pen along the paper. Ryo began to pout, but Yumiko ignored him.

“Official occupation?”

“Well, I can’t talk too much about that,” he smirked. “But if I had to describe it, I would say that the best way to put it is that I am a hunter.”

“A hunter?” Yumiko replied. Ryo leaned toward her.

“A hunter of beauty,” he added. “There are many beautiful women in the world, and I am always searching for them so that we…..”

“Occupation, self-employed,” Yumiko interrupted as she wrote the words down in her notebook. Ryo let out a dramatic sniffle before regaining his composure.

“Blood type?” she continued.

“AB,” he answered. “Now let me ask you, by any chance are your panties the bikini style cut?”

“Your birthday?” Yumiko inquired, ignoring his question. Ryo grinned again, his hands starting to move.

“March 26th,” he giggled as his fingers started to sneak toward her thighs. Yumiko looked up from her notebook and he immediately pulled his hands away.

“Really?” she asked. “That doesn’t seem quite right, given what I know about astrology and numerological influences. Come on, Saeba-san, I need for you to be honest with me if I am to….”

Yumiko stopped when she glanced over at him and saw the intense look in his eyes, a look she had not seen from him before.

“My birthday is on March 26th,” he repeated, his tone neutral. Yumiko blinked and nodded her head.

“All right, your birthday is March 26th,” she said as she wrote it in her notebook. Ryo nodded, his expression becoming more relaxed. Still, Yumiko could not stop thinking about what had just happened.

‘ _Why?’_ she asked herself. ‘ _I know that that date is probably off. It just doesn’t fit him, and yet…He hasn’t been taking most of my questions seriously, but for some reason, he was_ so _insistent on this one answer. That date…why is it so important to him?’_

Yumiko studied her notes, creases appearing on her brow. She was certain now that her usual methods of divination were not going to be of much use in this case. She decided instead to study him closely so she could learn as much as she could about his personality and to rely more on her special intuition.

Yumiko-chan,” Ryo said. Yumiko bit her lip and tried to prepare herself for what was sure to be another flippant remark or question.

“Yes, Saeba-san?”

“Are all of your clients forthcoming about the details of their lives?” Ryo asked. “After all, most of your clientele are people of some importance and they might not want some things to come out into the open.” Yumiko took a deep breath, closed the notebook in her lap, and sat it and the pen she was holding down onto the coffee table.

“All of my clients know that what they share with me will remain confidential,” she said. “It is one of the ironclad rules that I run my business by. I believe that they sense how serious I am about this and learn to trust me as a result.”

“What about your staff?” Ryo asked. “Can they be trusted in the same way?”

“I don’t really have a staff,” Yumiko replied. “I do pretty much all of the work myself. I do have one girl who comes in to handle basic secretarial duties like sending out bills or form letters, but she has no involvement with my actual work and no access to any of my clients’ information.”

“Do you have files on all of your clients?” he asked.

“I do,” she answered. “And in case you were wondering, yes, I do keep them in my office, but no they have not been found by whoever is doing this. I am certain of that.”

“Oh,” Ryo said with a hint of a smile. “You keep the most sensitive files hidden, don’t you?  Probably in a place most people wouldn’t think to look.”

“Correct,” Yumiko said. “And I can tell you that they were not disturbed during any of the times that my office was searched. My business is dependent on keeping my clients’ secrets, so I take extra precautions when it comes to their files.”

“I see,” Ryo said. “One last thing, is there any way that you could give me a list of all of your clients over the past three years?”

“I’m sorry, Saeba-san, but I can’t,” Yumiko said. “It is entirely up to my clients if they want to reveal that they have used my services. I never have made this choice for them…and I never will, no matter what the cost.”

“I understand,” Ryo said. “It’s all right. I will just have to approach this in another way.” His expression became thoughtful and silence filled the room. Yumiko did her best to watch him without being too obvious about it.

‘ _At least he appears to be taking my case seriously,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _I suppose that should be expected though. I mean, it’s true that I had heard rumors about him being a pervert, but I heard just as many, if not more, that he is perhaps the number one professional in the underground. I don’t think that a reputation like that is easy to acquire in his world.’_

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, however, by the sensation of Ryo’s hands touching her thighs. She tried to squirm away, but he put his arm around her shoulders so that she couldn’t back away.

“Saeba-san, what are you doing?” Yumiko gasped. “Have you forgotten our wager?”

“No, no,” he said, his grin growing wide. “I haven’t forgotten. This is just a little mokkori appetizer for things to come, right Yumiko-chan?”

He leaned closer to kiss her but suddenly paused, his face turning white. Yumiko was startled at his reaction, but then looked up to see Kaori standing behind him, her hammer poised to strike.

“Ryo!” she shouted at him. Ryo jumped away from Yumiko and knelt down on the floor in front of Kaori.

“It’s not what you think,” Ryo blurted out. “I was just…just….”

“Just what?” Kaori asked, anger lighting up her eyes.

“I was just…Yumiko-chan and I were talking about the case,” Ryo said. “And…uh, she seemed upset, so I was trying to comfort her.”

“What part of comforting her involves your hand rubbing her thigh?” Kaori said as she swung the hammer downward. “Pervert!”

Ryo screamed as the hammer came down, smashing him into the floor. Yumiko got up and laughed nervously.

“Ah well, I am really tired,” she said as she backed away from the scene. “I think I’ll go to bed now.”

“Ok,” Kaori said, trying her best to calm down. “I’ll show you where the guest room is.” Kaori then turned toward the prone body of Ryo. “Stay there and contemplate your actions for a while.”

“O—ok,” Ryo spluttered out as he crawled out from underneath the hammer.

* * *

 

After settling into the guestroom, Yumiko began to change into her pajamas. She was startled by a knock at the door.

“Who’s there?” she asked. “Saeba-san?” The door opened a crack and Kaori slipped inside.

“No, it’s just me,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “And don‘t worry about Ryo. I’m going to sleep in here tonight too. Believe me, nothing will happen while I am here.”

“Thank you Kaori-san,” Yumiko said, letting out a sigh of relief. She then giggled.

“Saeba-san, he is pretty ridiculous, isn’t he?” she said. “Kaori-san, doesn’t your boyfriend worry about you being here with someone like that?”

“Well, Ryo doesn’t think of me as a woman, so I don’t have to worry about that,” Kaori said with a laugh before blushing. “And um, I don’t really…I don’t have a….”

“What?” Yumiko said, surprised. “You don’t have a boyfriend? A beautiful woman like you?” Kaori looked at the floor and shuffled her feet.

“Well, like I said earlier, work and keeping track of Ryo keeps me really busy,” she said. “I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”

“Isn’t there at least someone you are interested in?” Yumiko asked. Kaori fidgeted some more in silence and suddenly Yumiko was struck with another possibility.

“Wait a minute…you and Saeba-san? Are the two of you….?”

“No, no, no,” Kaori insisted, waving her hands in front of her. “He’s just my partner. Remember, he doesn’t consider me a woman, so our relationship is not like that at all.  I mean really, a pervert like him? No way.”

“I see,” Yumiko said. “But Kaori-san, there should always be time in our lives for love. No matter how busy we are, we can’t deny the heart’s desire to love and be loved.”

“I guess so,” Kaori muttered. Yumiko walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm.

“Kaori-san, how would you like me to find a match for you?” she asked. Kaori’s mouth dropped open and her face turned an even deeper red.

“Yumiko-san, I…I couldn’t,” she spluttered. “I couldn’t begin to afford five million yen.”

“Don’t worry about the fee,” Yumiko smiled. “You and Saeba-san are ensuring both my life and my business. I would be happy to include this service in addition to paying your fee.”

“Still, I can’t ask that of you,” Kaori said. “I…I’d be taking advantage of your situation. You have enough to worry about, so you should waste time with things like that.”

Yumiko’s smile disappeared at her words. It was still difficult for her to believe that a woman like Kaori was single, but Yumiko was even more shocked and saddened that Kaori didn’t seem to act as if she deserved or would be capable of enjoying that kind of happiness.

Yumiko patted Kaori’s arm again, causing Kaori to look up at her.

“Kaori-san,” she said softly. “It’s all right. I would love to do this for you. Please understand, what I do, it’s not just a job for me. It’s my life’s work. It’s what I was meant to do in this world. It’s not just about the money…it’s about experiencing the wonder of two people finding each other. It’s a joy that goes beyond any financial reward. And it would make me very happy to see you have that kind of experience too.”

“Yumiko-san,” Kaori said. “I…Thank you. Thank so much.”

“You’re welcome, Kaori-san,” Yumiko replied. Kaori blushed again before letting out another laugh.

“Hey, Yumiko-san, what about you?” she asked. “Were you able to find…?”

“Yes, I was,” Yumiko said, anticipating her question. “I met Kenichi, the love of my life, when I went to university after high school. Right now, he is working overseas.”

“Oh,” Kaori said. “That must be hard.”

“At times it is, yes,” Yumiko said. “But we correspond frequently and once or twice a year one of us flies out to see the other. This is just temporary though. In a couple of years he will be returning to Japan for good.”

“That’s good,” Kaori nodded. I mean, I couldn’t imagine a successful matchmaker like you not being able to find someone of your own.”

“Yes, that would be strange,” Yumiko laughed. She then began to unbutton her blouse. “I suppose I should be getting ready for bed.” Kaori held up her hand. “What is it?”

Kaori then walked over to the window. The curtain was open only a little bit, but Kaori was certain that she had seen movement outside. She threw back the curtain to find Ryo hanging outside, and she opened the window up. Ryo gulped, large beads of sweat running down his face.

“So,” Kaori said. “What is it this time?” Ryo laughed and edged away a little from the window.

“I was just thinking that it would be a good idea to patrol outside,” he said. “It’s my way of being thorough, you understand, right?”

“So, I see,” Kaori nodded. “How diligent you are.”

Ryo tried laughing some more, but he immediately stopped when he saw the look in Kaori’s eyes.

* * *

 

 Moments later, Ryo struggled to free himself as he dangled from a long rope attached to the rooftop while rolled up in a large blanket.

“Kaori!” Ryo yelled. “This isn’t funny anymore. It’s so cold. I’m going to get sick. Kaori!”

A short distance away, a man hid in a side alley across the street. He watched the scene in front of him for several minutes before turning and walking away.

“This isn’t good,” he muttered to himself. “I better go tell the boss that situation has changed.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Yumiko woke up and stretched. She looked around to see that Kaori had already gotten up for the day.

That thought reminded her of her conversation from the night before. Yumiko contemplated how she now had two complex clients who she needed to find love matches for.

‘ _Saeba-san isn’t going to do much to help me with my search for a match for him,’_ she mused. ‘ _And while I believe that Kaori-san will try to be more helpful, I would have to find a man who would be understanding of the work that she does and the fact that she has to spend her days around a man like Saeba-san. Ah, both of these cases are not going to be easy.’_

Yumiko sat up in bed. Despite her concern about the difficulties she faced, she was still determined to see both cases through and find matches for each of them. With all the other worries she had about attempts on her life and the possible destruction of her business, Yumiko found it somewhat soothing to have some additional work to occupy her mind.  

‘ _It may be a challenge, but I know that it’s not impossible. Just like Saeba-san, I can see the red thread on Kaori-san’s finger as well. There is someone she is destined to be with and I am going to find him.’_

Yumiko got out of bed and picked out some clothes for the day. She wanted to take a shower, but was apprehensive of the idea.

‘ _I wonder where Saeba-san is right now. Is he still hanging from the rooftop?’_ she wondered. ‘ _He might not be by now. And if I try to take a shower…who knows what will happen.’_

Yumiko let out an exasperated laugh and decided that it would be best to let Kaori know what she planned to do before taking that shower.

‘ _What a strange life,’_ she thought to herself as she walked out of the guestroom. ‘ _But…I suppose it’s not so bad. Not so bad at all, actually.’_

* * *

 

“City Hunter?” the man behind the desk said. “Are you sure?” Mitsuru, the man who had stood in the alley the night before nodded his head.

“I’m sure of it, Boss,” he said. “I followed Takeuchi to the apartment building where he lives. She must have hired him to protect her.”

“City Hunter, Ryo Saeba,” the boss said, leaning back in his chair. “This complicates things.” Another man, Haruhiko, stepped forward.

“Boss, City Hunter or not, he’s just one man,” he said. “How much of a threat can he be to us?”

“Fool,” the boss replied. “Ryo Saeba may be just one man, but he is far from an ordinary one. Men and entire organizations that dared to cross his path have been completely destroyed. No, he is not someone who can be taken lightly. We must exercise caution.” The boss paused and looked back over at Mitsuru.

“Have you been able to find those files?” he asked.

“No,” Mitsuru answered, looking downward. “We searched her office twice and could find nothing.”

“I see,” the boss replied. “She must have hidden them somewhere secure. Chances are, she’s the only one who knows where they are. I had thought about asking you to kidnap her and bring her to me, but now with City Hunter as her bodyguard, that plan will not work. Despite all of this though…I must have those files.”

“Boss, let me try to take him out,” Haruhiko said. “Then we can get the girl and force her to tell us where the files are.”

“No,” the boss said. “A direct attack will not work. We need to find a different way.” The boss settled into his chair and was silent for a couple of minutes. He then sat back up, a determined look on his face.

“Boss….” Mitsuru said.

“There might be one way,” the boss said. “But it is a dangerous one. If we go through with it, we will risk earning Saeba’s wrath. Still, it is our best chance of getting those files.” The boss then turned toward Mitsuru and Haruhiko.

“Listen carefully,” he said. “I have a plan. Make sure to follow it to the letter without fail.”

* * *

 

Meanwhile, back at the apartment building, Ryo wandered around aimlessly. A couple hours earlier, he had tried to peek in at Yumiko while she was showering and was promptly rewarded by another pounding courtesy of Kaori and her one hundred ton hammer. After that, Yumiko settled in at the table to get some work done while Kaori went to do some grocery shopping.

Ryo groaned and tried to work the kinks out of his joints. He thought about trying something with Yumiko now that Kaori was out of the house, but then he remembered the wager along with Kaori’s stern warnings and decided against it.

With nothing else to distract him, Ryo was bored. He thought about playing some video games, watching TV or even sneaking in some porn in his room, but none of that was particularly appealing to him right now.

He walked into the front room and found Yumiko still studying some files and making some notes. Ryo admired the fact that she still wanted to work and that she seemed to be keeping a level head despite the threats to her life and her business.

‘ _She may be making a handsome salary from her work, but it’s clear that it’s not only her profession,’_ he mused. ‘ _It’s her calling, her purpose in this world. For her, her business is her life.’_

‘… _I can already sense the thread on your finger, Saeba-san…’_

Ryo absentmindedly touched his pinky finger and frowned. When Yumiko told him that she sensed the red thread on his finger, he had been tempted to tell her that she was mistaken. Granted, the research he had done on her had given him proof of the intuition she claimed to possess, but he could not bring himself to believe what she was telling him. He had been able to shrug off her comments with a joke, but he hadn’t been able to forget about them.

‘ _Would you like to know where it leads?’_

Ryo walked back into the hallway and leaned against a wall. He had been willing to take part in her wager to find him a date. He was not convinced, however, that the thread she sensed led to anywhere in particular. He had long since given up on the notion that he could have a deep lasting relationship with a woman. It was simply too dangerous for them and too difficult for him to allow that sort of bond. Thus, he had learned to be happy with any fleeting moments of pleasure that he could find through mokkori. A bitter smirk appeared on his face.

‘ _You are wrong this time, Yumiko-chan,’_ he thought to himself. ‘ _There is no romantic destiny for a man like me: a man who has lived his entire life in the company of guns, blood and death. No woman deserves to be tied to a life like that.’_

Ryo ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He didn’t like to think too much about things like this and longed for some kind of distraction. Suddenly, his stomach growled.

‘ _I didn’t get much of a breakfast thanks to Kaori and her hammer,’_ he grumbled to himself. ‘ _And who knows how long she’s going to be gone. I guess I’ll have to find something for myself.’_

Ryo left the hallway and started toward the kitchen.

“Hey, Yumiko-chan,” he said with a smile as he walked by her. “Would you like something to eat? I could make us both something.”

“No, I am still pretty full from breakfast,” Yumiko said without lifting her head. “Thank you though.”

“Ok,” Ryo shrugged as he walked into the kitchen. He then began to rummage around in the fridge and the cupboards for anything that looked good.

As he dug around in the last set of cupboards, his eyes caught sight of a small, colorful box wedged into a corner. Curious, he reached up and carefully pulled it out. He opened it up, and his eyes widened at what he found inside: a collection of chocolates.

 _‘What’s this?’_ he wondered. ‘ _This doesn’t look like it came from a store.’_

He examined the chocolates closely and noted that each piece appeared to be hand-crafted. The chocolates were simple in appearance, but Ryo could tell by looking at them that they were probably elegant in flavor.

‘ _These were definitely homemade,’_ he thought. ‘ _But where and when did Kaori get something like this? Unless…unless she made them herself.’_

It was then that Ryo realized what he was holding: a box of chocolates that Kaori had made as a gift for someone for Valentine’s Day.

He looked down again at the box in his hands. Despite his sarcastic remarks, Ryo admitted to himself that Kaori’s cooking was good and satisfying to eat, even though it could never be considered gourmet. Kaori was not very graceful in her culinary pursuits, but these chocolates had a beauty to them that could never be matched by an expensive box of chocolates that could be purchased from a store. Ryo figured that it must have taken her hours to make chocolates like these, and he was impressed at the results.

‘ _A labor of love. That’s what these are.’_

That thought produced an unexpected ache in his heart. Something like this would not be a Valentine’s Day for a friend or a co-worker; this was meant to be a declaration of love. Of a romantic love.

Ryo ran a finger along the edge of the box. Deep down, he knew it was selfish, but he couldn’t stop himself from feeling jealous of the person who Kaori had made these for. He thought that he knew about everything important in her life, but now he was faced with evidence that there was someone out there who had captured her heart. Someone who had inspired her to make a wonderful gift like this.

Ryo continued to stare at the contents of the box. He knew that he had no right to lay any sort of claim on her personal affairs. After all, he had made it a point to keep some distance between the two of them. If she was in love with someone, he knew that he should let her go and allow her to find happiness with that person. He knew that he should put these chocolates back and forget about them.

He knew all of this…but none of it was enough to stop him from reaching in, pulling out a chocolate and biting into it.

 As he had suspected, it was just as delicious to eat as it was pretty to look at. He began to pull out chocolate after chocolate, stuffing each one of them into his mouth. As he ate them, he could have sworn that he could sense the love that Kaori had put into these chocolates and that made them even more irresistible to him. He couldn’t stop himself from devouring them. Each piece sated his hunger and gave him a brief moment of warmth deep within himself.

“Ryo! What….what are you doing?”

He had just popped the last chocolate into his mouth when he heard that voice. He turned toward its source to find Kaori standing in the doorway, her face white.

“Those…those were….those were….” she spluttered. She then narrowed her eyes and began to grind her teeth together.

Ryo gulped hard, swallowing what was in his mouth. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but he couldn’t find the words to apologize nor could he bring himself to tell her why he had done it.

“Oh these, I found them in that cupboard up there,” he blurted out. “Let me guess, some old Valentine’s candy that you had bought for some guy and then forgot about? Maybe because he thought that you are a guy? It’s just as well that you didn’t give these to anyone, Kaori-kun because I think I’m going to need some medicine to calm my stomach now. Whatever place you bought these from deserves to go out of business.”

Ryo automatically flinched, half expecting any moment now to receive yet another blow from one of her hammers. Instead, he was shocked to see her continuing to stand there and gasp, her face turning red.

“I…I….” she said in a whisper. Her usual fiery anger melted away and her eyes filled with tears. He then knew that he had gone too far this time and was filled with guilt over causing her pain. Ryo opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off when she spun on her heel and ran out of the room.

“Kaori!” he shouted as he ran after her. Kaori ran by Yumiko who stood up.

“Kaori-san, what’s wrong?” she said. “What happened?”

Kaori said nothing as she dashed past both of them and ran down the steps toward her room. Seconds later, Ryo heard the door slam, and he knew where she had gone.

“Saeba-san, what happened to Kaori-san?” Yumiko said. She then glanced at the box that he was still holding in his hand.

“This,” she said as she advanced toward him. She snatched the box out of his hand and examined it.

“This is a box for chocolates,” she said. “For Valentine’s Day chocolates. Then I was right. There is someone who Kaori-san is in love with.” She then saw a faint smudge of chocolate on his face and began to glare at Ryo.

“How could you?” Yumiko said. “I thought she was your partner. Don’t you care about her at all? How could you ruin a gift like this? How could you gobble up something that was supposed to be a way for her to express her feelings? Don’t you think she deserves to find happiness with the man she loves? ”

 Ryo said nothing. His expression was blank mask, and he showed no reaction to her words. Yumiko turned away from him.

“You may be an excellent bodyguard, Saeba-san, but you are a poor excuse for a partner,” she said.

“Would you like to cancel our wager?” he said quietly. “I promise that there will be no penalty for you.” Yumiko was startled by the question, but did her best not to show it.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Whatever you might think of me or my abilities, I know that I am right. And maybe I can’t fathom how I will be able do it right now, but I will find a suitable date for you. I will win our bet, fair and square. You will see.”

“Fine,” Ryo said. “Then will you go somewhere with me in a little while?” Yumiko turned back toward him.

“Where will we be going?” she asked.

“Nowhere special,” Ryo answered. “I just need to talk to someone about some suspicions I have. And I think you will be interested in what he has to say.” 

     


	5. Chapter 5

After their confrontation, Ryo exited the apartment building, leaving Yumiko standing next to the table in shock. She watched him go and stood there silently for a couple of minutes before finally sinking down onto the bench in front of the table.

Her thoughts turned to Kaori, and she thought about going to check on her, but decided against it.

‘ _She was so upset…and I don’t really know her that well,’_ she thought. ‘ _She might want her privacy. But I…I wish there was something I could do for her. Something more than just finding her a date.’_

Yumiko sighed and glared again at the direction of the door. While she felt bad for Kaori, she didn’t know how to feel about Ryo. A part of her was still angry at him for how he treated his own partner, but another part of her was confused.

_‘Despite what just happened…despite the fact that he’s quite the pervert at times…It just doesn’t seem like he’s that kind of person: the kind who would purposely crush a woman’s heart. So why did he do it? And why didn’t he say anything? He didn’t try to apologize to her or defend himself to me when I yelled at him.’_

_‘Why does he act this way?’_

Yumiko put a hand to her forehead and leaned against the table. She had started to build a rough sketch of the type of woman who would be best suited for Ryo and was trying to plan the best course of action from there. While she normally worked to find more long-term relationships for her clients, occasionally she worked with dating agencies to set up romantic nights out while looking for more permanent options.

‘ _A couple of them still owe me quite a few favors,’_ she pondered. ‘ _I suppose I could contact them tomorrow and ask them for access to their client files. I should be able to find someone.’_

As she thought it over, Yumiko felt increasingly convinced that she could still beat Ryo at their wager, but her thoughts became melancholic again when she considered Kaori’s situation.

‘ _Even though she was reluctant to say anything, I am pretty sure she is interested in someone in particular. If only I knew who she was in love with,’_ she thought to herself. Having done it before, Yumiko was confident in her skills as an intermediary between potential lovers. She wished that she could try to set something up for Kaori.

‘ _But there’s nothing I can do if she won’t tell me who she is interested in. Maybe later tonight, after she’s had a chance to calm down, I’ll try talking to her.’_

Yumiko swung her legs back under the table and started to sort through her papers. For now, there was other work to be done.

* * *

 

About an hour later, Ryo reappeared and motioned at Yumiko.

“Do you have time to go with me now?” he asked her. Yumiko stood up and smoothed out her long skirt.

“I suppose I can get away for a while,” she said. “Did you find out anything on the case?”

“I’m pretty sure that I know who is responsible for all this,” Ryo replied. “It’s just a matter of checking up on a couple of hunches that I have. So, let’s go.”

The two of them walked out into the hallway and headed toward the elevator. When the doors opened up, they were suddenly faced with Kaori, who had her arms crossed over her chest.

“Going somewhere, Ryo?” she asked sternly. “Somewhere alone with Yumiko-san by any chance?” Ryo gulped.

“Ah, I was just…checking up on some leads,” he said. “And then I thought….”

“You thought that maybe you could spend some time giving her a tour of the love hotels in the area?” Kaori finished for him. Ryo laughed nervously as he and Yumiko got onto the elevator.

“I think I’ll come along,” Kaori said as the doors closed. “After all, I am your partner, and we are still working on a case, right?”

“Right, right,” Ryo said, nodding his head vigorously in agreement.

* * *

 

Soon, the three of them were riding in Ryo’s car. Yumiko couldn’t help but notice the tense atmosphere surrounding them. Instead of chatting away like he normally did, Ryo concentrated on driving while Kaori kept her gaze firmly fixed on the window and the scenery that rushed by. Despite Kaori’s quiet demeanor and serene expression, Yumiko noted that her eyes were a little red and that her cheeks appeared to have traces of recent tears on them.

 _‘Poor Kaori-san,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _I hope she feels better soon.’_

After a few minutes of driving, Ryo parked his car in front of the Cat’s Eye Café, and got out with Kaori and Yumiko following him.

“Hey, Umi-chan, Miki-chan,” Ryo called out as he walked inside.

“Ah, Saeba-san, Kaori-san,” Miki answered. “How are you today?”

“Fine,” Kaori said as she sat down on a stool at the counter.

“Busy,” Ryo smiled. “Yumiko-chan, this is Miki-chan and Umibozu. Yumiko-chan, here, is our client.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yumiko said.

“Likewise,” Miki smiled at her. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Sure, thank you,” Yumiko said as she sat down at the counter.

“I guess, I’ll take some coffee too,” Ryo sighed while sitting down at his usual place. “Even if it is terrible.”

“Hmph,” Umibozu scowled. “Bad coffee is all you deserve.”

“Speaking of bad,” Ryo said, reaching into his pocket. “Umi-chan, do you recognize this?” Ryo pulled out a pin with a tiny insignia engraved into it. Umibozu reached over and took it out of Ryo’s hand.

“Hmmm,” he said as he examined it. “The Blood Orchid.”

“Blood Orchid?” Miki said. “Didn’t they approach you a while ago about a job?”

“They did,” Umibozu replied. “They wanted me break through the security at some corporate headquarters three months ago so that they could steal some personal files. All of their higher ranking members, including the boss, wear this pin. It is the symbol of their group.”

“Blood Orchid,” Yumiko repeated. “Who are these people?”

“A new criminal group who has already established themselves in Osaka,” Ryo answered. “Looks like their sights are set on Tokyo now. Black Orchid’s specialties are corporate espionage and blackmail.”

“Yes,” Umibozu nodded. “I had heard about them in Osaka, so when they approached me, I turned down the job. I have no interest in such things.”

“But what would a group of people like that want with me?” Yumiko asked.

“I imagine it has something to do with your clients,” Ryo said. “Or at the very least, certain clients in particular. Are you sure that you still can’t give me that list?”

“I’m sorry, Saeba-san,” Yumiko said. “I….”

“Ah, that’s fine,” Ryo said swiveling back and forth in his chair. “I’ve already got another lead on that anyway.”

Yumiko was about to ask him what he meant by that but stopped herself after catching a glance at Kaori. Kaori continued to sit at the counter with her head down and had not said a word after she had greeted Miki and Umibozu.

“Kaori-san?” Miki said. “Is everything all right?” Kaori shook her head and looked up with a smile.

“Oh sure, everything’s fine,” she said. “I guess I just need some fresh air is all.”  Kaori then stood up and walked out of the café. Yumiko watched her leave, a concerned look on her face.

“Saeba-san, is something wrong with Kaori-san?” Miki asked. “She looks pale.”

“Who knows?” Ryo said, shrugging his shoulders. “What about you, Miki-chan? You are looking a little pale yourself. Perhaps you need to get out of this shop and spend some time with an actual man instead of this octopus.”

“Shut up!” Umibozu shouted at him. “Spending time with a mokkori man like you would make things even worse.”

“Oh, so you admit that Miki-chan is hanging around here too much?” Ryo grinned at him.  

“Even if she is, it’s still better than being chased around by a pervert like you,” Umibozu retorted. Miki then placed a hand on Umibozu’s arm.

“Don’t worry about what he says, Falcon,” she said. “I am always happiest when I am here with you.” Umibozu immediately became beet red and turned away from the counter to clean some dishes.

During this conversation, Yumiko slipped out of the shop and walked in the direction that Kaori had gone. Ryo was about to call out to her when Reika stepped inside the café.

“Hi Ryo,” she smiled at him. “Wasn’t that Yumiko Takeuchi, your client?”

“It’s ok,” Ryo said. “Did you look into what I asked you about? Have you got something for me?”

“Hmmm, I think so,” Reika said as she approached him with a couple of folders. “And don’t worry, I won’t charge you too much this time for my services.”

* * *

 

Yumiko darted down the street to find Kaori sitting on a bench a few yards away from the café.

“Kaori-san?” Yumiko said as she drew near. “Are you all right?” Kaori smiled again and waved a hand.

“I’m fine, Yumiko-san,” she said. “Really, you don’t need to worry about me.” Yumiko sat down next to Kaori.

“Kaori-san, I know what Saeba-san did,” she said. “I know that he ruined your Valentine’s Day present. You were going to give those chocolates to the man you are in love with, weren’t you?”

“It’s…it’s no big deal,” Kaori said, turning her face toward the pavement. “To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to go through with it anyway.”

“Is Saeba-san always this cruel to you?” Yumiko said bitterly. Kaori sighed deeply.

“It’s not like that,” she said. “There are many times when I don’t understand Ryo…and it’s true that he is lazy, perverted and horrible with money…but I am sure that he isn’t purposely cruel.”

“But then why would he do what he did?” Yumiko asked. “How can you be so confident in his character? After all, I know that he hurt you with his actions.”

“He did,” Kaori said, looking back up. “And I don’t know why he did it. But I…I still believe in him. I believe in his heart.”

Yumiko gasped, stunned at her words. The two of them sat together silently for a couple of minutes before Yumiko smiled again.

“You are a generous woman, Kaori-san,” she said. “Listen, I would still like to help you. Please tell me who you were planning on giving those chocolates too.” Kaori started to blush.

“I…I…” she stammered.

“Don’t be scared,” Yumiko said. “I know that it’s a little embarrassing, but trust me. I am sure that I can help you meet him or even set up a date. And if that doesn’t work out, I could work with you to help you find someone else.” Yumiko leaned toward Kaori.

“At least tell me this,” she said. “It’s true that you are in love with someone, isn’t it?” Kaori burst into a fit of nervous laughter for a moment before sighing again and shaking her head.

“I suppose there’s no point in denying it,” she said. “There is someone. Someone who I feel I have always loved…and who I always will love.”

“Ah, I knew it,” Yumiko said, triumphant. “I knew that there had to be someone. So tell me, who is it?”

Kaori looked down again, her blush deepening. Yumiko was about to ask again when the squeal of tires caught their attention. A car barreled toward them, coming to an abrupt halt right in front of them. Three men then jumped out.

“Mitsuru, look,” Haruhiko said. “Both of them are here. Let’s get them.”

“All right,” Mitsuru said. “But remember what the boss said: our first priority is to grab our intended target.” Both Yumiko and Kaori leapt to their feet.

“Run Yumiko-san!” Kaori yelled. Kaori then launched herself at Mitsuru, landing a solid blow against his side and causing him to stagger. Yumiko started to run, but Haruhiko ran out in front of her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he sneered. He reached out to grab Yumiko’s arm, but was stopped when Kaori picked up a rock lying on the ground and threw it at him. The rock struck Haruhiko in the hand, causing it to bleed.

“You witch!” Haruhiko yelled at Kaori. Yumiko then shoved Haruhiko out of her way and dashed back toward the café.

“Damn it,” Haruhiko spat. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Kaori. “You are going to pay for that.”

“Stop it,” Mitsuru ordered as he regained his footing. “Don’t forget about what the boss said; we need this one alive.” He then grabbed Kaori’s arms. “You’re coming with us.” Kaori struggled and kicked at her assailant’s legs.

“Let me go,” she shouted. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”  

Mitsuru moved one arm to firmly grasp Kaori’s waist and hold her close to him. He then pulled out a syringe from his pocket and plunged the needle into her neck. Seconds later, Kaori stopped struggling and fell limp against him.

“Kaori!”

The two men looked to see Ryo running toward them with Yumiko and Umibozu close behind. They swiftly loaded themselves and Kaori into the car and sped off before Ryo could reach them.

“Saeba-san,” Yumiko gasped as she came up beside him. “No…Kaori-san, she….”

Ryo said nothing as he watched the car disappear from sight.

  

 


	6. Chapter 6

After the car disappeared from sight, everyone walked silently back to the café.  Ryo exchanged a few words with Reika and Umibozu before turning toward Yumiko and nodding at her.

“Come on,” he told her. “We’re going back to my place.”

“Your place?!” Yumiko said, stunned. “What are you saying? Didn’t you just see what happened? Kaori-san, your partner, has just been kidnapped. Probably by the same guys who have been after me. We can’t just go back to your apartment. We need to start looking for her.”

“Where would you suggest?” Ryo said, his voice polite but detached. “It’s too late to follow them and we don’t know for sure where they are going. Besides, we both know that it’s you and your files that they are really after. This is part of their plan to get them. If we rush in without knowing what that plan is, there is a good chance that they will kill Kaori and try to find some other way.”

Yumiko put a hand to her mouth. She then realized that her concern for her own safety had blinded her to the risk that she had exposed Ryo and Kaori to when she asked for their help. Yumiko felt her eyes burn and she blinked hard.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is my fault. I…I should have stayed closer to you, Saeba-san. I shouldn’t have wandered off like that. It’s my fault that Kaori-san was kidnapped. They were trying to grab me, and Kaori-san…she did her best to protect me.” Ryo placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Yumiko-chan,” he said. “Listen to me. These people are professionals. If you were their real target this time, we probably would not be having this conversation right now. No, the reason they showed up was to kidnap Kaori. It had nothing to do with your presence, so do not blame yourself.”

“But why?” Yumiko said.  Ryo shook his head and motioned toward his car.

“Let’s go,” he said.

* * *

 

The ride back to the apartment had been a silent one. Once they arrived, Ryo settled in on the couch next to the phone. Yumiko sat down beside him.

“What are we going to do now?” she asked.

“We wait,” Ryo replied. “They will contact us soon enough.”

“How can you be so sure?” Yumiko asked. Ryo leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms behind his head.

“They have already tried searching your office and threatening you and neither tactic worked,” Ryo said. “Instead you hired me to be your bodyguard. Once they found that out, I imagine that they figured that there was no way to force you to cooperate with them, not with me guarding you.”

 “So they kidnap Kaori-san instead?” Yumiko asked. “Why? To force my hand?”

“Perhaps,” Ryo said. “Or perhaps they figured that they could force mine and have me retrieve the files that they want in exchange for Kaori’s life.”

“That doesn’t seem likely,” Yumiko said. “The only way that would work would be if I told you where they were, and that’s an awfully big assumption.”

“Nope,” he responded. “They probably have heard about my reputation and figured that I could get them myself if I wanted to.”

“Maybe,” Yumiko said with a scowl. “Or maybe they are giving you a little too much credit.” Ryo suddenly moved his arms and leaned close to her, his hand hovering near her neck.

“What…what are you doing?” she gasped.

“That necklace,” he said, pointing to a gold chain around your neck. “That’s the key to the safe where you keep them, isn’t it? And the safe is that statue of Cupid pointing his bow at a heart in your office. Am I right?”

Yumiko’s face turned red and her lips quivered for a moment. She then let out a sigh and hung her head. She reached into her blouse and pulling the rest of her necklace out. At the center of the chain was a small, gold arrow.

“How did you know?” she asked. “About the safe and the necklace?”

“When we were cleaning up your office, I noticed that that statue had a strange feel to it,” Ryo answered. “I examined it and noticed that there was what looked like a keyhole on the heart itself. I then noticed that the lead arrows in the statue’s quiver had been moved around, judging from the way that the dust was disturbed. It wasn’t hard to figure out the solution from there.”

“And the necklace?” Yumiko inquired.

“Oh I saw that when I was peeping at you in the shower,” Ryo laughed. “I saw it lying at the top of your clothing and as soon as I spied the arrow charm, I knew that that was the key.”

‘ _Great, so now he’s justifying his peeping at me by implying that it was part of his investigation,’_ Yumiko thought as she shook her head. ‘ _Just what kind of thought processes does this guy have anyway?’_

“I’m sure our friends tried the lead arrows from the statue in the key hole, but gave up when none of them fit,” Ryo continued in a more serious voice. “But they forgot about the legend of Cupid. According to the story, when Cupid fired arrows of lead, potential lovers would be repelled by one another. But….”

Ryo leaned over again and touched the charm on Yumiko’s necklace.

“When arrows of gold were fired, true love would join the hearts that were struck,” he added. “Isn’t that right, Yumiko-chan?”

“Very true, Saeba-san,” Yumiko said with an exasperated laugh. “I see that you are more well-read than some might give you credit for.” Ryo leaned back against the couch.

“So, I could take those files anytime I want, and there would be little that you could do to stop me,” he said.  Yumiko’s eyes widened.

“Wait…you don’t mean….?” 

“No, don’t worry,” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “You are still my client, and my job is protecting both you and your business. I am not going to hand over your files to the likes of them.”

“Are you sure?” Yumiko asked. “I mean, Kaori-san…she….”

“Kaori is aware of the risks she will be taking whenever we take on a client,” Ryo interrupted. “That is part of the work we do.”

Yumiko looked down at the floor. She understood what Ryo was saying, but she still could not resign herself to his way of thinking.

‘ _He sits there so calmly, like it’s just another day at work, while his partner is in so much danger. Isn’t he even a little bit worried about what could happen to her?’_

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kaori groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and realized that she was lying on the floor. As she pulled herself up into a sitting position, she immediately felt woozy and ended up stumbling back down onto the ground. Eventually she tried again and managed to stay sitting up.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously before taking in her surroundings. She was in a small, dark room with only a narrow window high above her letting in any light. She slowly rose to her feet and went to try the door.

‘ _Locked,’_ she thought after a couple of unsuccessful tries to turn the knob. Kaori then moved to sit down against the wall.

As she sat there, her head began to clear. She remembered fighting with some men who were trying to kidnap Yumiko. She touched her neck and winced at the sore spot she found there.

‘ _The must have drugged me. That’s why I can’t remember getting here. How long was I out?’_

Suddenly there was a sound at the door, and Kaori looked up to see three men walking inside. Two of the men had guns in their hands which were pointed at her.

“Ah, I see that you have awakened, Makimura-san,” the boss said as he stepped forward. “I had hoped that your trip here wasn’t too unpleasant for you.” Kaori crossed her arms across her chest.

“Sure you did,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re the ones who have been harassing Yumiko-san. Whatever it is that you’re planning, it’s not going to work.”

“Is that so?” the boss smiled.

“There’s nothing you can do to her as long as Ryo is around, so you might as well give up,” Kaori continued.

“Perhaps not,” the boss replied. “But there are many things we could do to you right now….as I am sure, Saeba is aware.” Kaori paled but did her best to remain her composure.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but that won’t work either,” she replied defiantly. “Ryo won’t help you just because you are holding me hostage. Idiot.”

“What did you say?” Haruhiko said, his grip tightening on his gun.

“You heard me,” Kaori spat. “You’re a bunch of idiots if you think that you can force Ryo to do what you want. So you might as well let me go before he shows up. Then maybe you won’t suffer too many consequences.”

“You….” Haruhiko fumed. He started to advance, but the boss held up a hand to stop him.

“Such a determined woman,” he laughed as he crouched down beside Kaori. “I think I am starting to understand why Saeba chose you for his assistant.” His smiled then vanished, and he reached over to grab Kaori by the throat with both hands. Kaori gasped and clawed desperately at his hands when he began to squeeze.   

“It would do you good to realize the situation you are in,” the boss said. “It’s true that we need you alive for now, but that can change at any time. It’s in your best interests to sit here, remain quiet and hope that Saeba is more cooperative than you seem to think he is.”

The boss then let go and stood up. Kaori collapsed onto the floor coughing violently.  

“Until later, Makimura-san,” the boss said as he and his two subordinates left the room. Kaori heard the door close and lock as she sat back up. She looked around the room some more, hoping to find a way to escape, but could find nothing.

‘ _Some partner I am…letting myself get caught like this,’_ she thought gloomily.

She then pulled her knees toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She couldn’t see any other choice other than to wait for Ryo to show up and it frustrated her. She then thought of Yumiko and her offers to help her find some romance.

‘ _What was I thinking?’_ she asked herself. ‘ _There’s no room for romance in my world now. The work I do, the lifestyle I have…I can’t pin my hopes on something like that. It’s just a dream. A silly, childish dream.’_

_‘I should let go of such dreams, right?’_

_‘Right?’_

Kaori felt a tear slide out of her eye and angrily brushed it away. Now was not the time for crying. She needed to be ready for whatever happened next. She fell back against the wall and took some deep breaths as she worked to calm her mind. Kaori then blinked and turned her gaze toward the window. 

‘ _Just wait,’_ she told herself. ‘ _Ryo will come. And when he does, he will need his partner to be strong.’_

* * *

 

An hour after they arrived at the apartment building, the phone rang. Ryo stood and answered it.

“State your business,” Ryo said, turning away from Yumiko.

“By now you know what we want,” the boss said over the phone. “I would like to make an exchange with you: Takeuchi’s files for your assistant. Meet us at the abandoned construction side at the north side of Harumi in four hours. Just you and Takeuchi. If you refuse or if anyone else shows up…I think you know what will happen.”

The boss hung up, and Ryo did the same. He continued to face the wall while Yumiko stood up from the couch.

“Saeba-san, I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “I’ll give them what they want. I don’t want Kaori-san to get hurt.”

“No, that won’t work,” Ryo said. “There is still a good chance that they will hurt her even if you do what they want.”

“I still don’t understand why they are doing this,” Yumiko said. “What could they possibly hope to gain from my files?”

“Over the past three years, at least four well-known politicians, all of whom are known for having a tough stance on drug trafficking, have all gotten married,” Ryo said. “In interviews that took place during each wedding announcement, all of these men made some mention of their good fortune in finding ‘their perfect match’ and expressed gratitude for the person who guided them to that match.” Yumiko flinched but managed to keep her expression calm.

“A coincidence,” she scoffed.

“Maybe,” Ryo shrugged. “Except for the fact that all of them happened to mention the role of a sort of red thread of destiny in their romances.” Yumiko gasped and shook her head.

“Then you know who some of my clients are,” she said.

“I had a suspicion, so I had a friend of mine check into it. Apparently, Black Orchid has done their research as well,” Ryo said. “And they are looking for any information that could be used to blackmail them or that could expose potential weaknesses that could be exploited. More than likely, one of the major drug syndicates hired them for this job.”

“So what do you plan to do now, Saeba-san?” she asked. “You said that you won’t give in to their demands, even though I just gave you my permission. Why? Because that’s not how a professional works? Is your professional pride worth more to you than Kaori-san’s life? Or maybe you’re thinking about our wager. If I were to lose my business, you couldn’t collect. Is that it?”

Yumiko was about to say more, but the words froze in her throat when Ryo turned toward her and she saw the look in his eyes. His normal friendly, goofy demeanor had been replaced with a cold, calculating aura with tightly controlled anger evident in the glint in his eyes.

Yumiko took a step back and looked away, unable to meet his gaze for even a second more. The look in his eyes had scared her, and she tried to calm down by reminding herself that Ryo worked for her and had promised to protect her.

“I need to start preparing for the meeting,” Ryo said quietly. “After that will you come with me?”

Yumiko willed herself to look back up at him and was relieved to see a more relaxed expression on Ryo’s face.

“All right,” she murmured as she slowly walked toward him.

“Don’t worry,” Ryo assured her. “Black Orchid may be made up of professionals, but they just made one fatal mistake…and that was making me angry.”

        

 


	7. Chapter 7

Four hours later, Ryo and Yumiko arrived at the designated time and place. The setting was a group of decaying warehouses. The sun was starting to go down as Ryo parked his car and got out. Yumiko did the same and moved to stand next to him.

“Stay behind me,” Ryo told her. “And remember what I said. Things might become intense before it’s all over. No matter what happens, do exactly what I tell you to do. Understand?”

“I understand,” Yumiko said. “I leave it in your hands.”

Ryo nodded and the two of them walked along the rows of empty buildings. They stopped when they saw the boss along with a few of his henchmen, including Mitsuru, approaching them.

“Welcome Saeba-san,” the boss said. “I am pleased that you decided to come. And good evening to you Takeuchi-san. What a brave woman you are to show up like this.”

“Where is my partner?” Ryo asked.

“She’s here,” the boss said. “Don’t worry. She’s unharmed, and she safe where she is. I just wanted to make sure that this meeting would remain a civil one. Do you have the files that I requested?”

Ryo pulled out a computer disc from his pocket and held it up.

“Good good,” the boss said. “Now, this is how it’s going to go: you give me the disk and once we have a chance to get away, we will tell you where your partner is. After that, I hope that we will have no more dealings with each other.”

“No,” Ryo said. “I am only giving you the disk after you tell me where Kaori is.”

“I see,” the boss said with a laugh. “I guess you don’t want to play along. But I suppose I should have expected that from City Hunter.” The boss then frowned and motioned at his subordinates, all of whom raised their guns at Ryo and Yumiko.

“I know that our guns are not much of a threat to you,” the boss continued.  “But perhaps they are to Takeuchi-san here. Plus, we still have the trump card, your assistant, in our hands. Two of my men are with her now, and they have instructions to kill her on my signal. You will never see her alive again if you don’t do what I say.”

“Saeba-san,” Yumiko gasped.  Ryo stretched out his arm in front of her, and she moved to stand directly behind him.

“Apparently, you are not the professionals that I thought you were,” Ryo said.

“What?” the boss said, his face turning red. “What do you mean by that?”

“If you were, then you would have known better than to threaten someone like me,” Ryo said, his tone calm but menacing. The boss clenched one of his hands into a fist and gritted his teeth.

“Fine,” the boss growled. “I guess there’s no chance of reasoning with you. Bad luck for us, I suppose….but I’m not going down quietly.” He then turned toward his men.

“Shoot them,” he yelled. “Don’t let them live.”

Ryo grabbed Yumiko and ran from the on-coming spray of bullets. As he ran, he pulled out his gun and returned fire, hitting two of the men and causing them to drop to the ground.  Ryo continued to dodge and weave until they were out of sight.

“Stay here,” he told Yumiko. “If you hear any of them coming toward you, hide in the building next to us. There is plenty of cover there.”

“Saeba-san,” Yumiko said, touching his arm. “I…I’m sorry for what I said earlier. And I….I…”  Ryo smiled at her.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “This will be over very soon.”

* * *

 

Off at a distance, Haruhiko had been pacing. The boss had put him in charge of guarding Kaori along with another subordinate. It was far from what he wanted to do, but Haruhiko knew better than to cross the boss.

Kaori sat as quietly as she could. They had tied her up with rope and put her in an old car, locking all the doors. At first she struggled against the ropes, but then she got another idea. She tugged at the jacket she was wearing and was relieved at what she found hidden in the lining of her sleeve.

‘ _Idiots, they didn’t search me very well,’_ she smirked to herself. Using the tips of her fingers, she tore open the fabric and pulled out a small razor blade. She then began to work on her bonds while doing her best to hide what she was doing from the guards.

“Damn, I should have gone with the boss,” Haruhiko cursed. “I wanted to take on this City Hunter myself. Instead, I have to watch this noisy pest.”

“You know that no one disobeys a direct order from the boss,” the other man said. “So just relax. Besides, the boss knows what he’s doing. We might get to see the end of City Hunter yet tonight.”

“Yeah,” Haruhiko smirked. “If only I could be there to see it.” He began to pace some more when the sound of gunfire filled the air.

“What’s going on?” the other man said. “All that shooting…that doesn’t seem like part of the boss’ plan.”

“Something’s gone wrong, I just know it,” Haruhiko said.

Inside the car, Kaori heard the gunfire and instantly began to smile.

“Ryo,” she said. “Ryo’s here.” She went back to work on cutting the ropes, which were seconds away from breaking.

“I can’t stand this,” the other man said. “I’m going to go see what’s going on. The boss might need my help.”

The man ran off and Haruhiko was about to follow him when he stopped to turn back toward the car. He saw Kaori smiling triumphantly and that made his blood boil.

“You, you think you and he have won,” he grimaced. “But I’ll show you. I’ll show the both of you. No one crosses Black Orchid and gets away with it.”

Haruhiko ran back toward the car and started to push it. The parking brake had been dismantled, and as a result, it moved easily with only moderate effort on his part. Kaori blinked, confused until she saw the direction he was pushing her: down a ramp that led down into the water below the dock.  She worked furiously to free herself, but the motion of the car caused her to drop the razor.

“Feeling smug now, you witch?” Haruhiko laughed as he pushed. “Looks like City Hunter is going to have to find a new assistant…if he doesn’t end up dead tonight, that is.”

Kaori squirmed and struggled even harder against the ropes. Finally with one last painful burst of effort, she managed to get her arms and hands free. Haruhiko saw this and pounded the car with his fist.

“No!” he shouted. “You’re not getting away that easy.” He then pulled out his gun and started shooting at the doors. Kaori ducked down in the car and buried her head under her arms. Haruhiko shot each of the doors, damaging the handles. He then stood back and surveyed his work, laughing.

“Just try getting out of there now,” he laughed. Kaori pounded her hands against the doors but to no avail. Haruhiko then went back to pushing.

“Too bad, I almost wish I could have seen his face as he watched you drown,” he smirked. “But seeing that look on your face is priceless enough.”

“Stop it, stop it,” Kaori yelled as she slapped her hands against the windows. “Ryo!”

“Go ahead and scream all the way to the bottom,” Haruhiko yelled. “He can’t save you now.” He then gave the car one last hard push and it rolled down into the water.

Kaori screamed as she watched the water rise all around her. She tried again to open the doors with no luck. She laid down and tried pounding at the doors with the heels of her boots, but the doors would not budge. She sat up, looking for some other way to open the doors, when she suddenly felt a rush of cold water flooding into the car, lapping at her feet.

“Ryo!” she screamed again. “Please Ryo!”

The icy water steadily rose up to her legs and torso, and Kaori shivered violently as it made contact with her clothes and skin. Soon the water enveloped the car and flooded the interior at a faster rate.

“Ryo,” she cried, tears forming in her eyes. As the frigid water came up to her neck, she began to gasp and her breaths stuttered from fear and cold. Moments later, she was underwater. She tried to hold her breath, but her lungs burned and her heart felt like it would explode. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.

‘ _Ryo….goodbye Ryo,’_ she thought. ‘ _Stay safe.’_

_‘I love you.’_

Kaori couldn’t stop herself from gasping and water filled her mouth. She panicked for a moment more, before feeling herself slip away, her world growing dark.

* * *

 

Ryo ran between the buildings, letting off strategic shots as he went. By this point, most of Black Orchid was lying on the ground due to either gunshot wounds or some hand-to-hand combat. He searched as he dashed about, looking for the boss and for Kaori. He figured that the boss would wait until the last minute to harm Kaori so that he could continue to use her as a bargaining chip, but Ryo was also aware that her time could be running out. He needed to find either the boss, so he could force his henchmen to let her go, or Kaori herself, so that he could save her.

He weaved around the sides of the warehouses, listening carefully and observing his surroundings even as he sped past them. So far, his search had turned up nothing but more subordinates to shoot at and it was worrying him. Despite that, he continued to be alert but calm. Excessive worry, fear or anger would only cloud his judgment and his senses. He needed to remain focused in order to save Kaori and to ensure Yumiko’s safety.   

    The sound of laughter caught his attention, and Ryo ran over to see a man laughing as he faced the water. At the sound of Ryo’s footsteps, the man whirled around.

“Who’s there?” Haruhiko bellowed, his gun drawn. “Oh, City Hunter. Looking for your assistant, by any chance?” Ryo’s eyes narrowed.

“Where is she?” he demanded. Haruhiko laughed in response.

“You’re too late,” he chuckled. “If she isn’t dead by now, she will be in a matter of moments.” Ryo lifted his Magnum and aimed it at him.

“Where is she?” he repeated. Haruhiko flinched at the expression on Ryo’s face and backed away.

“Bastard,” he said. “I’ll….”

Haruhiko started to point his gun toward him, but Ryo fired first, shooting the gun out of his hand. Haruhiko screamed in pain as the bullet went through his palm, causing him to drop to his knees. Ryo walked over and pointed his gun at Haruhiko’s head.

“I will only ask this one more time,” Ryo said.  “Where is she?”

Haruhiko looked up and whimpered at what he saw. He had expected Ryo’s face to be contorted in rage or fear. Instead, however, Ryo looked down at him as if he were merely an insignificant insect to squash. There was no passion, no emotion, only the clear intent to kill.

Haruhiko heard the clicks of the gun as Ryo prepared to fire, and he turned away. During his long association with the criminal underworld, he had met many killers and had actually killed a couple people himself. But in that moment, Haruhiko realized that none of the people he had met had an aura of darkness as intense as the one emanating from Ryo, a darkness that spoke of a long and bloody path of destruction and death.

‘ _What…what is he?’_ Haruhiko asked himself as he trembled. _‘Those eyes…He can’t be human.’_

“Well?” Ryo asked him. Haruhiko cried out and fell forward onto the ground while pointing to the water behind him.

“She’s…she’s in the car,” he spluttered. “The one I just pushed into the water over there. Please…I….”

Ryo silence him with a blow to the back of the head. As soon as Haruhiko dropped to the ground, Ryo yanked off his long jacket, ran over to the water, and dived in.

The water was dark and icy, and Ryo shuddered hard once he slipped underwater, but he shrugged it off and continued to swim downward. He could barely see and was about to swim toward a lighter section of the water when he spotted the car in question. He swiftly swam toward it, and once he reached the car, he peered into the window. He could see a faint outline of Kaori half sitting and half lying in the front seats.

Ryo tried to pry each door open, but had no luck. Having no other choice, he darted back toward the surface and took in another lung full of air before diving back down. As he swam back toward the car, he pulled a pocket knife out of his belt buckle. He jammed it into the door and used it to pry open what was left of the handle. Once that was done, Ryo gave the door one more giant yank and managed to get it open. He then grabbed Kaori and rushed back toward the surface.

Once he was there he coughed violently, gasping for breath. He then turned to the motionless form in his arms.

“Kaori!” he shouted. “Are you all right? Kaori!?”

But Kaori did not answer him. She remained still and unresponsive. Ryo swam toward the dock and pulled Kaori out of the water and onto the pavement. He then knelt down beside her. Kaori body was cold, her arms and legs limp. Her skin had turned a very pale grey with tinges of blue.

“Kaori, wake up,” he insisted, shaking her slightly. He touched her cheek, but her head flopped over to the side lifelessly.

‘ _No!’_ his mind screamed at him. ‘ _No, this can’t happen. She can’t be….she can’t be….’_

“Kaori!”


	8. Chapter 8

Mitsuru looked around cautiously with the boss close behind him. They had been able to hear the sound of gunfire as others tried to take Ryo out, but were certain that none of them had succeeded. The area was quiet now, and the two men crept about stealthily.

“Boss, what should we do?” he asked. The other man shook his head.

“We have no choice,” the boss answered. “We are going to have to retreat and re-group back in Osaka. There is just no way we can do business in this town with a man like him living here.”

“Boss….” Mitsuru said, stunned.  The boss shook his head again and looked to see a couple more of his subordinates running up to join them.

“We are going to regroup at our usual place in Shinjuku. Make sure to spread the word to any other members who manage to escape,” the boss told the men who had arrived. The boss then turned to Mitsuru.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “We are going to have to abandon this job.”

“But Boss,” Mitsuru said. “The client….”

“I’ll deal with them,” the boss said. “They knew going in that there were no guarantees. Besides, I am sure that they would be more than willing to overlook it if I were to tell them that City Hunter was interested in knowing who had hired us. Now, let’s go.”

The men snuck carefully toward the cars, all of them on the lookout for Ryo. As they approached, a jeep roared onto the scene, blocking the cars’ path. The jeep then came to a stop and Umibozu got out of it, a machine gun in his hand.

 “I heard that there was something interesting going on here,” Umibozu said. “Looks like I missed out on most of it.” The boss rushed toward him.

“Umibozu, please reconsider our offer,” he said. “We will pay you twice…no three times what we offered you before. Just help us leave Tokyo and join us in Osaka.” Umibozu began to chuckle as he moved closer to them.

“Looks like you are desperate to get away from here,” he grinned. “I suppose I could help you out with that.” The boss’ eyes lit up.

“You will?” Umibozu laughed again and moved even closer.

“Certainly,” he said. “Besides, I had a feeling that we would be running into each other again.”

The boss began to smile in relief as did many of the others. Unfortunately, none of them noticed the way that Umibozu began to smirk at them.

‘ _Yes, I will help you get away from here,’_ Umibozu thought to himself. ‘ _After all, that’s what Saeko is paying me for: to take you some place where you need to go. Looks like you are going to owe all of us another one, Ryo.’_

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Ryo was trying to resuscitate his partner. He had panicked when he realized that she wasn’t breathing, but soon another part of his mind, the part that had been trained to survive in any situation, took over. Now was not the time to panic, panicking could cost Kaori her life. He had to put aside his feelings and do what was necessary to bring her back. He began to administer CPR, by pressing his hands against her chest.

“Wake up Kaori,” he said as he pushed. “I’ve taken care of things here. It’s time for us to finish this job.”

He then bent down to breathe into her mouth. As his lips touched hers, he couldn’t help but think about all of the times he had fantasized about kissing her. It was true that he had given her a couple of chaste, but tender kisses to her forehead in the past and had even kissed her on the lips once when her mind was being controlled by the Black Army, but Ryo knew that none of those moments could qualify as an actual kiss. He had longed for the chance to do it, but had been too shy, too afraid of what would happen next if he were to kiss her that way.

Another chance for his lips to touch hers had finally come…and instead of it being the fulfillment of a dream, it was the realization of a nightmare.

He firmly pressed his mouth against hers and breathed into her a couple of times before continuing with the chest compressions. Soon he fell into a rhythm of alternating the chest compressions with mouth-to-mouth breathing. He did this for several moments, but still Kaori showed no sign of life.

“Kaori,” he said. “Come on, Kaori. It’s over. You’re safe now. Everything’s fine.”

But Kaori remained still and silent. Fear began to creep into him again, and Ryo was powerless to keep it completely at bay. His movements became more frantic, his heart felt like it was being squeezed.

 “Wake up, Kaori,” he repeated, his tone demanding. “Dummy, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be my partner.  You need to wake up and help me finish things. Come on!”

Despite his efforts, Kaori still did not respond. Ryo’s movements began to slow. The rational part of his mind was telling him that it was too late. Having spent so much time on battlefields, he had seen this scenario many times: a close friend or a loved one would fall and then there would be someone else clinging desperately to their corpse, unwilling and unable to accept their death. The sight would always sadden Ryo, but he had also always reminded himself of the danger of succumbing to that kind of grief. There was no place for it in his world. Death was an ever-present threat, and it was best to accept it as the flip side of life instead of deluding oneself when it struck.  

Still, none of that was any comfort to him now as he looked down at the body of his partner on the ground.  

Ryo put his hands on either side of Kaori’s face and leaned close.

“Kaori,” he said, his voice finally starting to crack. “I’m sorry. I ruined the gift that you made. I was the one who made you cry. It is my fault that things ended up this way. Please forgive me.”

Ryo’s eyes burned as he talked to her, his chest tightening even more.

‘ _Why didn’t I apologize to her before?’_ he asked himself. ‘ _It’s not as if my words will mean anything to her now.’_

_‘Now that she’s….’_

Ryo gasped, unable to complete that thought. Instead his mind flashed back to hundreds of other memories, other words spoken between them: the sound of her yelling at him to get up in the morning, the careful tone she had when she explained their latest job to him, the cheerful voice that accompanied him when they went out shopping or for a leisurely day out, the gentle words spoken to him when he felt pensive or melancholic about the world and his place in it.

Ryo moved his hands and went back to giving her CPR.

‘ _No, I won’t give up. I can’t,’_ he told himself. ‘ _Kaori can’t die.’_

_‘I made a promise to Makimura.’_

_‘She’s my partner.’_

_‘I need her.’_

* * *

 

Yumiko carefully snuck out of her hiding place, making sure to watch her surroundings carefully. It had been quiet for a while now, and she figured that Ryo had taken care of things. At one point, she saw Umibozu tossing the boss and other members of Black Orchid around like dolls.

‘ _I guess it really is over then,’_ she laughed to herself nervously. ‘ _Umibozu-san is kind of a scary guy….but I guess he’s a good person.’_

_‘Speaking of which, where are Saeba-san and Kaori-san? Is Kaori-san all right?’_

Yumiko’s pace quickened as she looked for them. She was about to call out, but was stopped by another voice.

“Kaori!”

‘ _That…that sounded like Saeba-san. Did something happen? Kaori-san, is she….?’_

Yumiko ran in the direction she heard the yell come from. Seconds later, she saw Ryo a short distance away from her. She was about to say something when she saw Kaori lying on the ground, motionless. She dropped to her knees and put a hand to her mouth.

‘ _Kaori-san…’_

Yumiko started to cry as she watched Ryo work desperately to revive his partner. Her tears soon flowed down her face as she continued to watch this scene unfold in front of her.

‘ _How could I have been so blind?’_ she asked herself. ‘ _I prided myself on being able to see into the hearts of others…and I couldn’t even see what was right in front of me.’_

Yumiko tears blurred her vision, but she could still see Ryo’s frantic motions start to slow down and the way he touched Kaori’s face. Even though she couldn’t hear what Ryo was saying, she could still sense the emotions behind it.

‘ _Kaori-san is not just Saeba-san’s working partner…She is much more than that to him.’_

_“I still believe in him. I believe in his heart.”_

Kaori’s words echoed in Yumiko’s mind, and she realized that the feelings Ryo had toward Kaori were not one-sided.

‘ _How could I have not seen the bond between them? I was so blinded by everything on the surface; I couldn’t see the truth in their hearts. If only I had…maybe I could have said something to them. Maybe I could have….’_

Yumiko sank down further onto the ground and turned away. She buried her face in her hands as she continued to grieve over the tragedy she was witnessing.

* * *

 

Ryo kept trying to resuscitate Kaori, but the feeling of loss was starting to overwhelm him. He did not want to give up, but deep down he knew that there was little chance at this point of her coming back to life.

He bent down to breathe into her mouth one last time, one last attempt to bring her back.

As he moved his mouth away, he was startled by a flicker of movement…followed by a violent cough which brought up some water.

“Kaori!?” Ryo said, his eyes lighting up.

Kaori continued to cough and gag as she spit out more water and struggled to breathe. Ryo tried to help her as best he could by turning her onto her side and guiding her to bend slightly so she could breathe easier. She coughed for another minute before finally turning toward him and opening her eyes.

“Ryo,” she murmured her voice hoarse. “Ah…those other men…Yumiko-san…is she?” Ryo couldn’t stop himself from grinning.

“It’s over. Yumiko-chan is fine and I’ve taken care of Black Orchid,” he said. “Well, with a little help from Umi-chan.”

Kaori smiled at him, and Ryo felt his heart become lighter by the second. That happy feeling turned to worry though when she started to shake.

“Kaori…?

“So cold,” she mumbled as her teeth started to chatter.

“That’s because you continue to refuse to dress appropriately for the weather,” Ryo teased, giddiness filling his voice. “A skirt at this time of year? It’s ridiculous.” He reached over for the coat he had discarded on the ground and wrapped it around her.

“How was I supposed to know that I would end up in the water?” Kaori harrumphed. Ryo smiled again as he pulled the coat tighter around her shoulders.

“How long have you been my partner? You should be ready for anything by now,” he said as he got to his feet. “Can you stand?”

Kaori nodded and slowly rose to her feet. She immediately began to shake and feel dizzy, however, and started to fall back down. Before she could reach the ground, Ryo scooped her up into his arms.   

“Silly, you should be more careful than that,” he scolded. Kaori sulked for a moment, but then leaned over to wrap her arms around his shoulders and neck.

“Hey, hey, what are you…?”

“Idiot, you had to go into that freezing water too,” she said. “I’m just making sure that you don’t get cold either. What kind of a partner would I be if I let you get a fever?” Kaori then pulled at Ryo’s coat so that it covered parts of him as well.

Ryo sighed, his lips parting into another smile. He suspected that the both of them knew that this argument was a bunch of nonsense, but that didn’t stop him from relishing every second of it.  He adjusted his hold on Kaori and walked toward the car.

Kaori blushed as Ryo continued to carry her, but then she decided to simply enjoy being able to snuggle close to him in his arms. All of the fear that had gripped her heart melted away as she rested her head against his chest.

‘ _I knew that you would come,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _I knew that you would be there, Ryo.’_

Ryo tightened his grip on her when he felt her rest her head against him.

‘ _Thank you, Kaori,’_ he thought. ‘ _Thank you for coming back to me.’_

_‘My partner.’_

* * *

 

Unbeknownst to Ryo and Kaori, Yumiko was watching them walk away. Moments ago, she had allowed herself one last look at the two of them and was overjoyed to see Kaori stir and sit up. She wiped her tears away and began to smile.

‘ _Kaori-san, I am so glad that you are all right. I am so happy that Saeba-san did not have to lose his partner.’_

She wiped her eyes some more and decided to walk back toward the cars so that they could have some privacy, but then something caught her eye.

‘ _Wait…the red thread….’_

Yumiko’s eyes widened when she happened to detect the presence of the red thread on both Ryo’s and Kaori’s fingers….and then when their hands touched, Yumiko gasped at what she saw.

‘ _No way…the red thread….So that’s where it leads…for the both of them….’_

Yumiko smiled and shook her head. She now understood why it had been so easy for her to sense the threads on their fingers, and why the impression had been so strong.

As she walked backed toward Ryo’s car, Yumiko Takeuchi was confident that she had not only won her wager with Ryo, but had solved Kaori’s problem as well.

* * *

 

A couple hours later, Ryo and Kaori were finally back at their apartment building. The two of them, along with Umibozu, had handed the members of Black Orchid over to Saeko, and then they had arranged for Umibozu to take Yumiko back to her place after they had picked up her things. After Umibozu and Yumiko left, Ryo and Kaori collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the events of the day. A few minutes later, Kaori stood back up.

“I’m going to take a shower and change,” she announced. “Maybe then I can finally start to warm up.”

“Fine,” Ryo nodded. “I think I’ll get us some takeout and then do the same as you. I don’t feel like doing much else for the rest of the night.”

* * *

 

After the two of them showered, changed and shared a light meal, they both decided to retire to their rooms so they could get some much needed rest.

Ryo settled in on his bed, but could not fall asleep. He could not stop thinking about how close he had been to losing Kaori this night and it disturbed him. It was true that the two of them had been in hazardous situations like this before, but it never seemed to dull the emotions that he felt every time Kaori faced mortal danger.

Hours passed, but still Ryo found himself restless, his mind unwilling to calm down. He thought about going into the kitchen and getting himself a drink but froze when he heard a scream.

‘ _Kaori!’_

Ryo grabbed his gun and ran down to Kaori’s room, his nerves preparing themselves for battle. He burst into her room and was startled to see Kaori sitting up in her bed, breathing hard.

“Kaori, are you all right?” he asked as he rushed over to her bedside.

“I…I’m fine,” she said. “I’m sorry, Ryo. It was just a nightmare.” Ryo relaxed and lowered his gun to his side.

“Come on,” he said. “It’s useless for either us of to try to sleep right now.”

* * *

 

The two of them ended up moving to the couch on the floor above her room. Kaori leaned against his arm, and he surprised her by wrapping his arm around her, pulling him close to her. She decided not to question it, however, and rested her head against his side.

“Ryo, I….” she murmured. “My nightmare…I was dreaming that I was back in that car, the water coming in. It was so cold. And…and the car kept sinking and it kept getting darker.”

Kaori started to shiver again, and Ryo held her a little closer.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she sniffed. “It’s not like I haven’t been in danger before. I have. But I can’t stop thinking about it. And when I close my eyes….”

Kaori let her words trail off as she continued to shake. The two of them were silent until Ryo cleared his throat.

“A few years ago, back when I was still working in the United States, I had gotten involved in a case involving some gangs who were trying to get involved in the drug trade,” he said. “My luck turned bad at one point and I ended up trapped in a building that had been set on fire by one of the gang members.”

Ryo sank back against the couch, and Kaori looked up at him, startled. It was rare for Ryo to willingly talk about his past, and she wondered what had prompted him to share this story with her.

“I don’t know how old I was at the time,” he added, his eyes fixed on some point on the wall. “I guess I could have still been in my late teens…Anyway, I remember the flames getting higher and higher and the smoke starting to suffocate me. At that point, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to make it. But, my luck turned again and I was able to get out through a window in the basement.”

Ryo paused and took a deep breath. Kaori watched him as he talked, her heart aching at the idea that he gone through something like that when he was so young, even though she was sure that there were many more horrible moments while he was growing up.

“For the next couple of weeks after that, it was hard to sleep and not dream about that fire: the heat, the way the black smoke engulfed me,” he continued. “But over time it got easier. I would wake up the next day, see the sun rise and discover that there was a new day to look forward to. I realized that there wasn’t any point in dwelling on what could have happened to me. Eventually, the dreams faded away.”

Ryo fell silent again, and the two of them sat quietly for a while until Kaori put her hand over one of his.

“Ryo,” she whispered. “Thank you.” Ryo patted her arm and bounced back up to his feet.

“We shouldn’t stay here,” he said. “You’re clearly tired and you have a chill. Let’s go watch some TV in my room.”

“Wait, what?” Kaori said, sitting upright and blushing.

“I’m bored, and I know you could use a way to relax,” Ryo said with a smile. “So, let’s find something to watch. You can rest under the blankets of my bed, and I can sit on the floor. And maybe there is some mokkori action on the television since it’s so late at night.”

“Ryo,” Kaori sighed. With the goofy grin he had on his face, Ryo seemed more like a hyper kid than the most feared sweeper in Japan. Still, she could stop herself from laughing and nodding in response.

“Ok, let’s do that,” she said.

* * *

 

An hour later, Kaori was curled up under the blankets on Ryo’s bed, fast asleep. The two of them had started to watch a movie that they had found on one of the channels, but Kaori had fallen asleep after only thirty minutes of it. Ryo covered her up and sat back down onto the floor with the remote for a while, flipping through the channels. Eventually, he turned the TV off and watched her sleep. Ryo saw a slight smile on her face, and he wondered what she was dreaming about.

‘ _Well at least there won’t be any more nightmares tonight,’_ he told himself.

He watched her for a while longer, his eyelids growing heavy. Possessed by a need he didn’t understand, Ryo went to his closet to pull out a spare blanket and pillow and then moved to lie down on the bed next to Kaori.

‘ _I don’t want to sleep on the couch,’_ he told himself. ‘ _And it’s too cold to sleep on the floor…and I’m too tired to go somewhere else….Besides, this way, if she has any more problems, I can be here to take care of them right away.’_

Ryo flopped his head down onto the pillow and pulled the blanket up over him. He then turned onto his side and closed his eyes.

‘ _Good night, Kaori.’_

Soon Ryo fell asleep and neither of them woke up for the rest of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Kaori awoke first, blinking and yawning. As she opened her eyes, she immediately noticed that she was not in her bedroom.

‘ _Where…where am I?’_

‘ _Wait…I’m in Ryo’s room. That’s right, last night the two of us came in here to watch TV. I must have fallen asleep….’_

Kaori rubbed her eyes and was about to sit up, when she realized that there was something draped over her side. She reached down to touch it and gulped when she realized that it was an arm. She then carefully turned over to see Ryo sleeping next to her, his arm holding her close to him.

_‘Ryo…Ryo is in the bed with me? What is he doing here?’_

Kaori clenched her hands tightly, a hammer suddenly appearing in one of them.

‘ _That mokkori maniac,’_ she fumed silently. ‘ _Sneaking into bed with me like this. Does he have any shame at all?’_

Ryo stirred and tightened his hold on her but did not wake up. As she watched him do this, she let her hammer fall to the floor and disappear. Kaori then thought back to the previous night.

‘ _I know that I didn’t have all these blankets on me while I was watching TV,’_ she mused. ‘ _He must have taken care of that after I fell asleep….and it looks like he’s sleeping on top of the sheets with just that one blanket. So he’s not really in the bed with me at all.’_

Kaori smiled as she watched him sleep. There were many mornings where she would go to wake him up and she ended up waiting for a couple of minutes before trying to rouse him. She would stand by his bedside and marvel at how much he looked like a child while he slept….which was exactly how he looked right this moment.

Feeling daring, Kaori reached over and carefully brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face. She couldn’t stop thinking about the previous night: the way he had taken care of her once they got back home, how he stayed with her after her nightmare, and most of all how he had shared a moment from his past with her.

Kaori had been surprised, but after thinking about it, she understood why he did it. Ever since their partnership began, he had tried various methods to teach her how to survive in the underground world that they lived in. Often, Ryo imparted these lessons with his usual sarcastic ways and acted as if they were an afterthought, but Kaori knew that he did it to ensure her safety and to help her cope with the hardships she faced in this life.

Still, Kaori knew that this gesture had been far more meaningful than that.  Less than a year ago, there was no chance that Ryo would have told her anything about his past, even as a way to comfort her. The fact that he had been willing to do so last night was a tiny, but significant event.

Kaori let out a soft sigh. She was still upset with him for ruining her Valentine’s Day surprise, but last night had gone a long way in making her able to forgive him. She knew that things like Ryo staying up with her or talking about his past would not seem like much to most people, but to her, they were more precious than any present she could receive.

Kaori then blushed again at the way he was holding her. She wanted to stay like this for as long as possible, but resigned herself to the fact that it wasn’t feasible. She and Ryo needed to meet with Yumiko again to finalize their job and receive payment and there were some errands that needed to be taken care of.   

She tried to slowly move away from him, but once again, Ryo pulled her back toward him. She had to admit that she was enjoying this, but she also knew that she had to get up and get started on the day’s chores. She pushed herself down further into the mattress and then slipped out from under his arm and onto the floor. Ryo responded by shifting around in the bed, and Kaori thought that he would wake up. But soon, he settled down again and snored even louder. Kaori then pulled at his blanket and draped it back over his body.

‘ _Thank you, Ryo…for last night…for everything.’_

She then turned to walk out of the room. Kaori was so distracted by her own thoughts that she didn’t notice it when Ryo suddenly stopped snoring and turned slightly toward the doorway.

 _‘Did she really have to get up now?’_ Ryo wondered. ‘ _It’s still early…and I was so comfortable….’_

Ryo turned to lie on his stomach and closed his eyes. He couldn’t fathom where the impulse to hold her had come from last night, but he did know that it had felt good. In fact, it had felt so good; he ended up staying that way all night long. Initially he had felt uneasy about holding her that way, but that uneasiness swiftly drifted away. In its place were feelings of warmth and contentment that lasted even after he fell asleep.

_‘Hmph…it was cold last night and I was tired. It’s not so strange to want to share your bed with someone on a night like that.’_

_‘Still…’_

Ryo buried his face into his pillow, determined to go back to sleep.

‘ _Kaori might want to run around this early, but I don’t. I’m going to sleep until noon… or at the very least until she’s done making breakfast…’_

* * *

 

About three hours later, Ryo and Kaori went over to a café a couple of minutes away from Yumiko’s office. They had just sat down at a table when Yumiko walked in the door.

“Ah, Saeba-san, Kaori-san,” Yumiko beamed. She sat down across from them and reached over to touch Kaori’s arm.

“Kaori-san, are you all right?” she asked.

“Don’t worry,” Kaori said with a laugh. “I’m fine, really. I’m just glad that we were able to take care of Black Orchid so that they won’t bother you anymore.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Yumiko said. “I can’t repay you enough for what you did.”

Yumiko then pulled out a check out of her purse and handed it to Kaori. Kaori’s eyes widened at the amount written.

“But Yumiko-san…” she began. “This is….”

“It’s the right amount for your fee, isn’t it?” Yumiko smiled. “Well, I added in a bonus for your hard work.”

“Thank you very much,” Kaori grinned. She stared at the check for a moment more before putting it into her purse

‘ _I had no idea that matchmaking could involve this kind of money,’_ she thought to herself. _‘Maybe I am in the wrong profession….’_

Kaori’s thoughts were interrupted, however, by a sound she knew well: the shrill shriek of a woman. She looked up to see Ryo bouncing toward one of the waitresses at the café.

“I said no and I mean no,” the waitress said as she tried to walk away from him.

“Come on, just one date,” Ryo begged. “Or a cup of tea. We could wait until you get off work and then I can pick you up.”

“How many times do I have to say no?” the waitress asked. She tried to weave around him, but Ryo grabbed onto her apron. Kaori gritted her teeth and then stood up from the table.

“Excuse me for a moment, Yumiko-san,” she said.

“Ah ok,” Yumiko said as she watched Kaori walk toward Ryo, a hammer suddenly appearing in her grip. Seconds later there was a loud thump as Kaori smashed Ryo into the floor yet again.

“Ryo! How many times have I said not to do that in front of a client?”

“Sorry….So thirsty….”

“Then get yourself a drink and leave the wait staff alone.”

“Ok….”

Yumiko gaped at the scene in front of her, a nervous smile on her face.

‘ _What a strange relationship they have…But I guess it works….’_

“Sorry about that,” Kaori said as she sat back down across from Yumiko.

“Oh that’s ok,” Yumiko said. “Listen, Kaori-san, I wanted to talk to you about something in private anyway.”

“Yes?” Kaori said, leaning toward her.

“Remember what I told you, about trying to find you a match?” Yumiko asked her. “Well after I got back to my office today and started to work, I found someone who I think might make a terrific date for you.” Kaori’s face instantly turned red.

“Ah, ah, Yumiko-san, you don’t have to….”

“It’s all right, it’s just a date, Kaori-san,” Yumiko assured her. “A way to have some fun on Valentine’s Day. You trust me, don’t you?”

“Well, I suppose I do,” Kaori said as she looked down into her lap. “I mean, everyone knows what a great matchmaker you are.”

“Then it’s settled,” Yumiko said. “I promise that you will have fun, Kaori-san.” She then handed her a slip of paper. “This is the time and address where you will meet him. It’s a romantic evening, so make sure to wear something special. And don’t worry about the guy I set you up with. I’ll have you know that he is handsome and brave as well as intelligent and even somewhat playful.  ”

“Oh ok,” Kaori said, her face scarlet and her eyes still downcast. “He does sound wonderful.”  Yumiko frowned at how timid Kaori had become and leaned closer to her.

“Kaori-san, you said that you trust my instincts, right?” she asked.  “So believe me when I say that the man you will meet will be very happy to spend an evening with you.  Honestly, I think he’s wanted someone like you for a long time, but he doesn’t know how to express his feelings with words. So go ahead and make him happy…and let yourself believe in romance again.” Kaori finally lifted her head and smiled.

“All right, I will,” she said. “Thank you again, Yumiko-san.”

“You’re welcome,” Yumiko smiled. Ryo slinked over to join them at the table, a drink in his hand.

“Ah, Saeba-san that looks good,” Yumiko said. “I’d love a drink too. Could you get me one too?”

“Wait, I’ll go,” Kaori said, standing up. “I don’t want to give Ryo another excuse to bother the waitresses. Ryo, behave while I get Yumiko-san a drink.”

“All right,” Ryo said, slumping in his chair. He then looked over at Yumiko and another grin appeared on his face.

“Yumiko-chan, Valentine’s Day is in two days,” he giggled.  “Have you thought about where you’d like to go for our date? Because I have a few suggestions….”

His hand started to creep across the table, but Yumiko slapped it away.

“Not so fast, Saeba-san,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I found a date for you for Valentine’s Day.”

“Really?” Ryo asked.

“Yes,” Yumiko nodded with a smile. “And she is perfect for you: a kind, caring woman who is also strong and adventurous.”

“But, is she a vision?” Ryo replied, his tone suddenly serious.

“Vision? Oh definitely,” Yumiko answered. “She’s a beautiful woman, but….”

“But?” Ryo echoed.

“I think she doesn’t always realize just how beautiful she really is,” Yumiko continued. “It’s a shame really, letting a gorgeous woman like her languish away, all alone.”

“It is a shame,” Ryo nodded sagely. “No, more than that, it’s a tragedy.”  Yumiko smiled and tilted her head toward him.

“Maybe what she needs is a man to teach her,” she said. “Teach her about how lovely she is. Will you take on this task, Saeba-san? Will you be the one to instruct her?”

Ryo grinned even more and started to pant. Yumiko then knew that she had reached her goal.

“Of course,” Ryo declared, jumping to his feet. “I, Ryo Saeba, will be this vision’s mokkori instructor. I will make sure to teach her everything she needs to know about love.”

Yumiko rolled her eyes as she watched Ryo cross his arms over his chest and smile triumphantly. Despite her exasperation though, she struggled to stifle her laughter.

‘ _How can the warrior who I saw last night, and this goofball in front of me now be the same person?’_ she asked herself. ‘ _I suppose that is just one of life’s eternal mysteries.’_

Yumiko pulled another slip of paper out of her purse and held it out to him.

“Here is the time and place where you will meet her,” she said. Ryo snatched it out her hand and stared at the paper, his eyes wide and a bit of drool forming at the edges of his mouth.

“Listen, this is supposed to be a romantic evening, so dress appropriately,” Yumiko added, her voice stern.  “Understand?”

“I understand,” Ryo replied, his gaze becoming intense. “But I also want you to understand something. If I show up and it turns out that this woman is not mokkori material, I will be showing up at your place that night to collect on our wager. Understand?” A large bead of sweat dropped from Yumiko’s forehead and she held up her hands.

“Ok, I understand,” she laughed. “But trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”

* * *

 

Two days passed, and Valentine’s Day finally arrived.  Kaori had gone to Ryo’s room to wake him up for breakfast as usual, but was surprised to find that he had already left.

‘ _It’s Valentine’s Day, so he’s probably up to some kind of nonsense already,’_ she thought to herself with a sigh. ‘ _Well I suppose it doesn’t matter. After all, I have something to do tonight too.’_

Kaori then made herself some breakfast and started on her daily chores. While she worked, she thought more about the date that Yumiko had lined up for her that night. A part of her was excited at the prospect of a romantic evening. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been able to savor any sort of romance. She felt giddy as she decided on what she would wear and how she would make herself up.

Still, another part of her wasn’t sure how to feel about this whole thing.  Even though she frequently longed for a true romance, she knew that she was a complete novice when it came to taking part in something like that.

‘ _It seems like Yumiko-san did her best to find me a wonderful date…but I…I…what if I disappoint him?’_

Kaori sighed and started to vacuum. She felt confident in the idea that she was at least an attractive woman to look at, but she often felt that there must be something that she lacked, something that made less desirable to men in general. Sometimes she chalked it up to her tomboyish ways, which were a conscious choice on her part. Other times though, she worried that she was simply unable to ignite any sort of passion in men beyond a passing physical attraction.

After finishing with her chores, Kaori headed off to the Shinjuku station to check the chalkboard. She knew that another thing that was bothering her was the situation with Ryo.

Walking along the streets, Kaori still saw many advertisements and displays heralding the arrival of Valentine’s Day. The day had finally come and now she did not have anything to give him.

 _‘I’m such a moron,’_ she cursed inwardly. ‘ _Here I am worrying about what to give Ryo when he’s the one who ruined the present I made for him in the first place. I shouldn’t be concerned about him. I should be thinking about my date tonight.’_

“ _There is someone….Someone who I feel I have always loved…and who I always will love.”_

Kaori’s heart grew heavy as she recalled what she had told Yumiko and contemplated the truth behind those words. Despite her lingering frustrations with him, Kaori could not imagine loving anyone the way she loved Ryo. She tried to remind herself that this was just supposed to be a date, but she couldn’t stop herself from feeling uncomfortable with the idea trying to find romance with someone else.

Kaori scanned the board and sighed again when she found no messages for them.

‘ _Well, I suppose it’s ok. The money we earned from Yumiko-san along with the money we already had in reserve makes it so that we can afford to have some time off.’_

Kaori then decided to spend some time leisurely walking around the city, hoping to calm her nerves.

* * *

 

 Late that afternoon, she arrived back at the apartment to find Ryo facing a giant stack of colorful boxes which were sitting on the table.

“Ryo, what’s all this?” Kaori asked. Ryo laughed in response.

“They’re chocolates from my fan club,” he chortled. “Here’s one from Suki-chan from Club Hot Nites, and here’s one from Yoko-chan from Club NekoMama, and…and….”

“I get the idea,” Kaori said, waving a hand at him. “Spare me the details. So, let me guess: you’re going on a tour of the clubs tonight so you can thank each of these women personally?”

“That does sound like a really good idea,” Ryo grinned. “But no, Ryo-chan’s got a mokkori date lined up for tonight. Ah, I’m so lucky.”

“Oh…I see,” Kaori said. “Well…that’s funny because I have a date tonight too.” Ryo’s jaw hit the floor.

“What? A date?” he replied. “With a man?”

“Of course with a man,” Kaori yelled at him. “What other kind of date would I have?” Ryo put a hand on her shoulder.

“Kaori,” he said softly. “The truth is, I am concerned about this.” Kaori began to blush.

“Ryo,” she breathed. “Are you….?”

“Valentine’s Day only comes once a year,” Ryo continued. “What kind of a strange man would use this once-a-year chance to date another man who pretends to be a woman?”

Ryo was about to say more but was silenced when a giant mace slammed him into a wall.

“Joking…it was a joke,” Ryo croaked as Kaori stomped away to her room.

* * *

 

A little over two hours later, Kaori was sitting at a table in a restaurant. She had followed Yumiko’s advice and had worn a dress and high heels and had put on some makeup. Dressing up that way made her feel somewhat awkward, but she did her best to relax.

‘ _Where is he?’_ she wondered. ‘ _It’s almost a half hour past when he was supposed to show up. What if he saw me and changed his mind?’_

Kaori’s hands shook as she clutched the white rose lying on the table. Yumiko had called her that morning and told her to bring a white rose to the restaurant and to lay it on the table so that her date would know who he was meeting.

Kaori looked around and noticed that the other tables were filled with couples who looked happy together. Sitting at her table all alone, Kaori felt angry, ashamed and most of all depressed.

‘ _This was a mistake,’_ she told herself. ‘ _I’ll just go and…’_

Tears stung her eyes, and Kaori turned toward the wall in an attempt to hide them. Despite the pain that she felt, she still had her pride. She would wait to calm down so she could walk out with dignity.

“Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

Kaori gasped and turned red. Her date had shown up after all. Still, there was something oddly familiar about the voice that had greeted her. She sniffed hard and wiped her eyes before turning toward him and opening her mouth to speak She was stopped, however, by the sight of Ryo, who was dressed in a tuxedo, standing in front of her table.

“Ryo,” she gasped.

“Kaori?” Ryo replied, clearly confused.  Kaori gulped and lowered her head while starting to shake.

‘ _No…why is Ryo here? Why did he have to show up now? My date didn’t come, and now I’ll never hear the end of it from him. Why did this have to happen?’_

* * *

 

Ryo stood in front of her, stunned. On the same paper that had the time and place for his date, Yumiko had added a note that told him what signal to look for when he arrived.

‘ _Your date will have a white rose sitting on the table.’_

He had memorized everything on the paper, but just as he was heading over for his date, Ryo had gotten caught in a traffic jam. Once he arrived at the restaurant, he rushed in, hoping that he wasn’t too late.

‘ _Ryo-chan is here. Wait for me, my mokkori date.’_

His eyes darted around the restaurant, and soon, Ryo spotted the white rose on one of the tables. He couldn’t see the face of the woman sitting there, but he could already tell that she had a lovely figure that was accentuated by the dress she was wearing.

‘ _Oh yes….Thank you Yumiko-chan! You sent me a vision after all.’_

Ryo put on his best smile and walked toward the table. The sound of muffled sobs had reached his ears, however, and he quickly became concerned. He reached out a hand toward her.

“Are you all right?” he asked gently. “What’s wrong?”

The woman turned toward him, and Ryo gulped when he saw Kaori’s face.

“Ryo,” she gasped.

“Kaori?” he replied. He wanted to ask her what was going on, but then he watched her lower her head and tremble. He could see the traces of her tears on her cheeks and he became even more worried.

“Kaori,” he said as he sat down across from her, his tone soft and calm. “Were you supposed to meet your date here?” Kaori swallowed hard but had been unable to stop a couple more tears from falling out of her eyes.

“Go on,” she said, her voice shaky. “Go ahead and make fun of me. That’s what you’re going to do, isn’t it? You’re right, my date didn’t show up. So what? So now you’re going to say it’s because I scared him away? He took one look at me and ran? That’s what you’re going to say, isn’t it?”

Ryo closed his eyes and cursed silently to himself. He realized that Yumiko must have arranged it for the two of them to have a date together. But it was clear to him that Kaori had not reached the same conclusion. Now, she was hurting and she was expecting even more humiliation from him. His heart ached at the idea that Kaori was so certain that he was going to wound her even more…but that could not compare to the pain he felt at watching her cry.

He opened his eyes and leaned toward her. He knew that he would have to proceed carefully from here, and he hoped that he wasn’t too clumsy to pull it off.

“Kaori…it looks like you and I are in the same boat,” he said. “So there’s no reason for me to laugh.” Kaori raised her head and looked over at him, puzzled.

“What do you mean?” she sniffed.

“I guess I was dumped by my mokkori date too,” he sighed dramatically. “I was supposed to meet her an hour ago, but I never saw her. So I’ve been wandering around looking for a chance to meet someone else. I haven’t been lucky at all.”

“Oh, I see,” Kaori said. She wiped her eyes some more with a napkin and fell silent. Ryo reached over to touch her hand.

“Hey, I have an idea,” he said. “How about the two of us go out instead? We can be each other’s Valentine’s dates.” Kaori’s face turned red and she looked away.

“No,” she spat. “I don’t need your pity, Saeba. Go ahead and look for your next mokkori opportunity.”

Kaori’s words, along with the way she used his last name, were a slap in the face to Ryo. Normally, it was his enemies or bitter rivals who referred to him that way. Her sharp tone hurt him, but he was still determined to make things better for her.

“I don’t pity you,” he replied. “With the way you look tonight, I know that you could walk out of here and easily find someone else to spend Valentine’s Day with. And if that’s what you want to do,  I won’t stop you. But…as I was walking along the street, I got to thinking about how nice it would be to spend an evening like this with my partner. I told myself that there was no way. You were on a date tonight. But then I find you here…and I guess that I thought that maybe there was a chance for me after all.”

Ryo held out his hand to her again and looked her straight in the eye.

“So what do you say, partner?” he said. “Will you let me spend this evening with you?”

Kaori looked up at him, her eyes wide and still tinged with red. She remained silent for a long minute, and Ryo was beginning to think that she was still angry at him.

But then she reached up and took his hand, allowing him to guide her to her feet.

“Ryo,” she murmured. “I…I’d like that very much.” Ryo grinned at her and put his arm around her.

“All right, first off we get something to eat,” he said as the two of them walked out of the restaurant. “This place is nice, but I know a place that’s a lot more fun where you can get a lot of really good food for cheap. I’ll leave the next place up to you…but you should know that we will be going to a bar at some point for drinks.”

Kaori smiled at him, and Ryo was relieved to see her mood improve. They almost reached the door when one of the waiters waved at him.

“Excuse me,” the waiter said as he approached. “By any chance, are you Saeba-san?”

“Yes I am,” Ryo answered. “What is it?” The man held out an envelope.

“A lady asked us to give this to you,” he said. “She said that you would understand.”

“Ok, thank you,” Ryo said as he took the envelope. The man nodded and walked away. Ryo tore the envelope open and peered inside.

“What is it, Ryo?” Kaori asked.

Ryo continued to stare at what he found:  a long red string with a loop at each end.

‘ _I guess I lost this wager after all,’_ Ryo smirked to himself. He still was unsure about the message that Yumiko was clearly conveying, but one glance at Kaori was enough to make him able to put aside his doubts…at least for one evening.

“It’s nothing, “Ryo said, stuffing the envelope into his pocket. “Just a reminder about a wager I made some time ago. So shall we go?”

The two of them walked the streets arm-in-arm, enjoying each other’s company.

“Say Ryo, did you already eat all of those chocolates that you got today?” Kaori asked.

“Nah,” he replied. “I got to looking at them and I realized that none of them would taste nearly as good as a batch of homemade chocolates. Maybe someday, someone will think that I’m worthy of a gift like that.” Kaori reached over and wrapped both of her arms around one of his.

“I think that there might be someone who already thinks you are, Ryo,” she said quietly. “Maybe it’s just a matter of waiting for it to happen.”

Ryo started, a sad smile forming on his face as he finally realized who Kaori had made those chocolates for. He then took one of her hands into his.

It may just be for one night, and it probably wouldn’t end up being much of a date, but for now he was happy and content to spend another evening with the most important person in his life….his partner. 

    


End file.
